Joshua Tybur
Evolutionary psychologist at VU Amsterdam whose research covers disgust, avoiding disease and costly signalling. He is co-author of both signalling studies this site relies on: the 2007 study of romantic motives and the 2010 study of green products as status symbols.
Who they are
Tybur works on how evolved motives show up in present-day choices. Much of his research concerns disgust and how people avoid sources of infection. The part this site draws on is his work with Vladas Griskevicius on costly signals, the idea that a display is believable because it costs something.
He appears on both signalling papers this site cites, which is worth knowing when judging how independent those two results are: they come from overlapping research teams.
Key papers
Griskevicius, V., Tybur, J. M., Sundie, J. M., Cialdini, R. B., Miller, G. F., & Kenrick, D. T. (2007). "Blatant benevolence and conspicuous consumption: when romantic motives elicit strategic costly signals." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93(1), 85-102. Second author.
Griskevicius, V., Tybur, J. M., & Van den Bergh, B. (2010). "Going green to be seen: status, reputation, and conspicuous conservation." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(3), 392-404. Second author.
Key ideas
A display is credible because it is costly, and it only works where someone can see it. See Costly Signalling.
Status motives raised the appeal of green products in public and not in private, and when the green option cost more rather than less. See Status Signaling.
Sources
- Griskevicius and colleagues (2007), verified at the published record 6 October 2026. Griskevicius, Tybur & Van den Bergh (2010), cited in Going Green Where Someone Can See You, 5 October 2026.