Barlev takes an adaptationist approach to his research, which combines foundational insights from the theory of evolution by natural selection and the computational theory of mind. He primarily studies (1) social decision-making (e.g., welfare trade-off theory; physical formidability as a resource in friend and romantic partner choice), (2) human behavioral ecology, e.g., how the social ecology calibrates life history trade-offs, and (3) learning and memory (e.g., how the mind builds concepts that were not the targets of natural selection; e.g., an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, and incorporeal God concept). Barlev earned his PhD in Psychology and MA in Religious Studies from UC Santa Barbara, and a BS in Psychology and a BA in History from UC Davis.