A social action connected to romantic attraction and interest is flirting. Verbal or nonverbal flirting actions are both acceptable. While certain forms of flirtation are culture-specific, others are not. According to psychologists who research flirtation from an evolutionary standpoint, flirting is a natural behavior that evolved via natural selection. According to these psychologists, flirting is the equivalent of how non-human animals conduct their courting behavior.
Have You Heard?
According to psychologists, raising one’s eyebrows and holding them there for a brief period of time is one of the most popular flirting actions. An eyebrow flicker is a social cue that is used to express recognition and a willingness to make small talk. Eyebrow flashes are frequently employed in friendly conversations as well as in flirtatious ones.
Common Flirting Techniques
Irenäus Eibl-Eibesfeldt watched Balinese, Papuan, French, and Wakiu people flirting in research from 1971. The “eyebrow flash,” a social cue that includes briefly lifting one’s eyebrows, along with smiling, nodding, and leaning in closer to the other person, he discovered, were shared by all four groups.
Similar conclusions were established by a 2018 meta-analysis of earlier behavior and attraction research, which found that increased physical closeness, imitation, smiles, and laughter are the behaviors most strongly associated with attraction. These actions happened whenever research participants felt favorably about someone, whether in a romantic or Platonic situation; they are not just restricted to romantic attraction. Researchers note that these actions are crucial for establishing trust and bolstering a connection, which may help to explain why people often engage in these actions when we are attracted to someone.
Different Flirting
While some nonverbal flirting actions are shared by all flitters, not everyone flirts in the same way. In a 2010 research, Jeffrey Hall and his colleagues polled more than 5,000 participants to judge how well certain actions represented their personal flirting preferences. They came to the conclusion that there are five main categories in which flirting might fall:
Traditional Flirting
The term “traditional style” refers to gender-conforming flirtation. People that engage in this type of flirting typically anticipate males approaching women rather than the other way around.
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Physical Flirting
People who report physically flirting with others are more inclined to be upfront about their love interests. This manner of flirting is also connected to extraversion. The tendency is equally true for those who describe themselves as more outgoing and gregarious.
Sincere Flirting
People who use a sincere flirting style are interested in forming an emotional connection. They engage in friendly behavior and show a genuine interest in getting to know the other person.
Playful Flirting
Flirting is enjoyable in the eyes of those who flirt in a light-hearted manner. Instead of trying to start a relationship, they frequently flirt for fun. In Hall’s study, the only flirtation technique for which men evaluated themselves higher than women were “playful.”
Polite Flirting
People that flirt in a courteous manner do it in a way that closely complies with social norms. They use additional caution and make an effort to avoid taking any activities that may be perceived as inappropriate. Multiple flirting techniques can be utilized simultaneously in real-world circumstances, and an individual may employ various techniques in various contexts. However, this list of flirtatious behaviors proves unequivocally that different people flirt in different ways. These results imply that while flirting is a universal behavior, how we flirt varies depending on our own preferences and social situation.
Sources claim
- Montoya, Julie L. Prosser, Christine Kershaw, and R. Matthew. An examination of the relationship between interpersonal attraction and actual behavior using meta-analysis. The range covered by Psychological Bulletin 144.7 is 673 to 709. (2018). http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-20764-001
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