Karen Wu Ph.D.

About

Karen Wu, Ph.D., is an associate professor of Psychology at California State University, Los Angeles. Her research focuses on culture and interpersonal relationships, including topics such as human mate selection, intergroup romantic relations, and partner preferences across cultures. Her work has been published in many journals, including Evolution and Human Behavior, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Human Nature, and Social Psychology Quarterly. Although her formal training is in social and personality psychology, she has a variety of interests and enjoys multidisciplinary research. One of her current projects is Inscripta.net, a site through which people who have previously purchased genotyping services (i.e., from 23andMe, AncestryDNA, or FamilyTreeDNA) can upload their genetic data and complete a survey in exchange for gene-based feedback on personal qualities, such as prosociality and relationship success.

Recent Posts

Why Some Men Experience Pregnancy Symptoms

Researchers examined hormone levels and responses to infant stimuli among expectant couples, finding similar physiological changes in men and women.

14 Common Experiences of Femcels, According to Research

Researchers qualitatively coded online posts to understand femcels' experiences with power, sex, frustration, and revenge.

13 Surprising Reasons for Early Menarche

Girls are menstruating earlier and earlier. Whereas some causes are obvious, others often fly under the radar and indicate adverse childhood experiences.

9 Ways the Pandemic May Have Led to Precocious Puberty

During the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of precocious puberty increased steeply in many countries. Recent research examined potential reasons for this alarming phenomenon.

Why Having a Pet May Not Make You Happier

Do pets always make us happier? A new study suggests they might not, as researchers qualitatively identified both positive and negative aspects of pet ownership.

Stepfathers: A Mysterious Cause of Early Menarche

Why might stepfathers cause earlier menstruation in girls? Several possible mechanisms have been proposed, including pheromones, stress, and paternal investment.

8 Common Ghosting Experiences

What is it like to ghost others? Researchers identified 8 themes regarding reasons for ghosting, the ghosting process, and ghosting consequences from the ghoster’s perspective.

9 Scientific Explanations for Why Masks Enhance Our Beauty

Why do masks make people more attractive? Researchers have discovered 9 psychological reasons for this phenomenon.

Are Americans Really Becoming Less Intelligent?

Are we really becoming dumber? A new study of almost 400,000 Americans suggests that changes in cognitive abilities depend on domain. However, there are alternative explanations.

9 Things That Your Food Might Say About Your Personality

What might your food preferences say about your personality? A new study reviewed the current literature on the topic.