Helen Fisher, PhD

Helen Fisher, PhD, Biological Anthropologist, is a Senior Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute and Chief Science Advisor to the Internet dating site Match.com. She has conducted extensive research and written six books on the evolution and future of human sex, love, marriage, gender differences in the brain and how your personality style shapes who you are and who you love. She is currently using her knowledge of brain chemistry to discuss the neuroscience of team building, business leadership and innovation.

Learn more about Dr. Helen Fisher

Helen Fisher photographed in The Atlantic

The Woman Who Made Online Dating Into a ‘Science’

Almost 20 years ago, Helen Fisher helped revolutionize dating. She has no regrets. By Kaitlyn Tiffany in The Atlantic

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cover image of the Oxford Handbook of Human Mating

Mating in the Digital Age

Charles Darwin identified two basic forms of sexual selection: intrasexual selection, in which members of the same sex of a species evolved biobehavioral mechanisms to compete with one another to win mating opportunities with the opposite sex—male–male competition and female–female competition —and intersexual selection in which members of each sex of a species evolved biobehavioral mechanisms to attract members of the opposite sex for the purpose of mating—mate choice. Miller proposed that two aspects of mate choice have evolved in tandem: (1) traits of the display producer that evolved to attract mating partners and (2) traits of the display chooser that evolved to discriminate between specic courtship displays and prefer those of specic display producers. Fisher has proposed that a third mechanism evolved in tandem with hominin mate choice: the brain system for romantic love.

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Helen's Four Foundational Personality Styles

In 2005, Match.com invited Dr. Helen Fisher to identify the biological foundation of personality. When she discovered a lack of data in modern scientific literature, she undertook a deep dive into peer-reviewed research in genetic, biological, pharmaceutical, neuroscience, and other medical fields.

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Podcasts

Lovestruck: What Would Dr. Fisher Do?

The WoMed Podcast February 17, 2023 It’s V-Day-Week! Your hosts are joined once again by sex scientist and one of Match.com’s Chief Scientific Advisors, Dr. Helen Fisher, to discuss personality styles and dating trends! She explains the 4 personality styles she’s identified and discusses the quiz that they all (and even Michael — and 15 million other people) took to figure out their style. Considered a TED All-Star, Dr. Fisher has over 21 million views on her talks, and today offers insight on new dating trends she’s seen from her annual Singles in America study. The 2022 study included questions about Roe v. Wade and inflation, which had notable results on people’s approach to dating. Speaking of love, Dani is on the move to Cleveland to be with Michael, and Jac may just have someone special that we get a little V-Day update on. Listen on Apple Podcasts  
Podcasts

Books

Books that discuss my data on the brain systems associated with one’s basic temperament
Helen Fisher, Ph.D., is one of America’s most prominent anthropologists and the author of six internationally best-selling books on the science of romantic love, attachment, adultery, divorce, and the evolution and future of human family life. She is currently also studying the biological basis of personality and how to use brain science to build teams, spark innovation, lead more effectively and “win friends and influence people” at work, love and life.
Helen's Books