Sex and the Perceived Effectiveness of Flirtation Techniques

Three studies were implemented in order to ascertain how men and women flirt with potential partners, and whether or not there are sex differences in which flirtatious actions are considered most effective. Study 1 (n = 40) and Study 2 (n = 60) sought to discover the actions that men and women, respectively, engage in to indicate romantic interest to a partner. Study 3 (n = 126) sought to determine which flirtatious acts from women and men are perceived as most effective. Men were expected to rate women’s flirtations that suggest sexual access as most effective and women were expected to rate men’s flirtatious actions that suggest emotional commitment and exclusivity as most effective. The results were consistent with the hypotheses and are discussed in terms of prior research.