David Buss, born on April 14, 1953, is an American evolutionary psychologist renowned for his research on human mating strategies and sex differences in mate selection. He is considered one of the founders of evolutionary psychology. Buss earned his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1981. Before joining the University of Texas at Austin in 1996, he was an assistant professor at Harvard University for four years and a professor at the University of Michigan for eleven years.
Currently, Buss is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. His research interests include male mating strategies, conflict between the sexes, social status, social reputation, prestige, the emotion of jealousy, homicide, anti-homicide defenses, stalking, and sexual victimization, all approached from an evolutionary perspective. He has published over 200 scientific articles and six books, including "The Evolution of Desire: Strategies of Human Mating" and "Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of the Mind". Buss has received numerous awards, including the American Psychological Association (APA) Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology. In 2014, he was named one of the 30 most influential psychologists. A recent Huberman Lab podcast in October 2025 featured Dr. Buss discussing evolutionary psychology, mate choice, deception, jealousy, and human relationships.