Why do we flirt?: Flirting motivations and sex differences in working and social contexts

Journal of Business Communication

Volumn 45, Issue 4, 2008, Pages 483-502

  Henningsen, David Dryden ^a   Braz, Mary ^b   Davies, Elaine ^c  

^a NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^b WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^c UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI   (United States)

Author keywords

Courtship; Flirting; Quasi courtship; Sex differences; Socio sexual communication; Workplace behavior

Indexed keywords

EID: 51049120079     PISSN: 00219436     EISSN: 15524582     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1177/0021943608319390     Document Type: Article

References (54)

1. Abbey, A. (1982). Sex differences in attributions for friendly behavior: Do males misperceive females' friendliness ? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 42, 830-838.
2. Abbey, A. (1987). Misperceptions of friendly behavior as sexual interest: A survey of naturally occurring incidents. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 11, 173-194.
3. Abbey, A., Cozarelli, C., McLaughlin, K., & Harnish, R. (1987). The effects of clothing and dyad sex composition on perceptions of sexual intent: Do women and men evaluate these cues differently ? Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 17, 108-126.
4. Abbey, A., & Melby, C. (1986). The effects of nonverbal cues on gender differences in perceptions of sexual intent. Sex Roles, 15, 283-298.
5. Abrahams, M.F. (1994). Perceiving flirtatious communication: An exploration of the perceptual dimensions underlying judgments of flirtatiousness. Journal of Sex Research, 31, 283-292.
6. Andersen, P.A. (1989, May). A cognitive valence theory of intimate communication. Paper presented at the International Network on Personal Relationships Conference, Iowa City, IA.
7. Andersen, P.A. (1998). The cognitive valence theory of intimate communication. In M. T. Palmer & G. A. Barnett (Eds.), Mutual influence in interpersonal communication: Theory and research in cognition, affect, and behaviors (Progress in communication sciences: Vol. 14, pp. 39-72). Stamford, CT: Ablex.
8. Cialdini, R.B. (2001). Influence: Science and practice. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
9. Downey, J.L., & Damhave, K.W. (1991). The effects of place, type of comment, and effort expended on the perception of flirtation. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 6, 35-43.
10. Downey, J.L., & Vitulli, W.F. (1987). Self-report measures of behavioral attributions related to interpersonal flirtation situations. Psychological Reports, 61, 899-904.
11. Eglund, K.L., Spitzberg, B.H., & Zormeier, M.M. (1996). Flirtation and conversational competence in cross-sex platonic and romantic relationships. Communication Research Reports, 9, 105-117.
12. Frazier, P.A., Cochran, C.C., & Olson, A.M. (1995). Social science research on lay definitions of sexual harassment. Journal of Social Issues, 51, 21-37.
13. Givens, D.B. (1978). The nonverbal basis of attraction: Flirtation, courtship, and seduction. Psychiatry, 41, 346-359.
14. Grammer, K., Kruck, K., Juette, A., & Fink, B. (2000). Non-verbal behavior as courtship signal: The role of control and choice in selecting partners. Evolution and Human Behavior, 21, 371-390.
15. Greer, A.E., & Buss, D.M. (1994). Tactics for promoting sexual encounters. Journal of Sex Research, 31, 185-201.
16. Hall, E.J. (1993). Smiling, deferring, and flirting: Doing gender by giving good service. Work & Occupations, 20, 452-471.
17. Hamilton, M.A., & Hunter, J.E. (1988). Confirmatory factor analysis: A program in basic. Unpublished manuscript.
18. Harnish, R., Abbey, A., & Debono, D. (1990). Toward an understanding of "the sex game": The effects of gender and self-monitoring on perceptions of sexuality and likability in initial interactions. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 20, 1333-1344.
19. Hecht, M.L., DeVito, J.A., & Guerrero, L.K. (1999). Perspectives on nonverbal communication: Codes, functions, and contexts. In L. K. Guerrero, J. A. DeVito, & M. L. Hecht (Eds.), The nonverbal communication reader: Classic and contemporary readings (2 nd ed., pp. 3-18). Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press.
20. Henningsen, D.D. (2004). Flirting with meaning: Examining miscommunication in flirting interactions. Sex Roles, 50, 481-489.
21. Henningsen, D.D., Henningsen, M.L.M., & Valde, K. (2006). Gender differences in perceptions of women's sexual interest during cross-sex interactions: An application and extension of cognitive valence theory. Sex Roles, 54, 821-829.
22. Hunter, J.E., & Gerbing, D.W. (1982). Unidimensional measurement, second order factor analysis, and causal models. In B. M. Staw & L. L. Cummings (Eds.), Research in organizational behavior (Vol. 4, pp. 267-320). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
23. Jesser, C.J. (1978). Male responses to direct verbal sexual initiatives of females. Journal of Sex Research, 14, 118-128.
24. Johnson, C., Stockdale, M., & Saal, F. (1991). Persistence of men's misperceptions of friendly cues across a variety of interpersonal encounters. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 15, 463-475.
25. Keyton, J., & Rhodes, S.C. (1999). Organizational sexual harassment: Translating research into application. Journal of Applied Communication, 27, 158-173.
26. Koeppel, L.B., Montagne-Miller, Y., O'Hair, D., & Cody, M.J. (1993). Friendly? Flirting? Wrong? In P. J. Kalbfleisch (Ed.), Interpersonal communication: Evolving interpersonal relationships (pp. 13-32). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
27. Lee, J.W., & Guerrero, L.K. (2001). Types of touch in cross-sex relationships between coworkers: Perceptions of relational and emotional messages, inappropriateness, and sexual harassment. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 29, 197-220.
28. Levesque, M.J., Nave, C.S., & Lowe, C.A. (2006). Toward understanding gender differences in inferring sexual interest. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 30, 150-158.
29. Loe, K. (1996). Working for men-at the intersection of power, gender, and sexuality. Sociological Inquiry, 66, 399-421.
30. McCormick, N.B., & Jones, A.J. (1989). Gender differences in nonverbal flirtation. Journal of Sex Education & Therapy, 15, 271-282.
31. Mongeau, P.M., Jacobsen, J., & Donnerstein, C. (2007). Defining dates and first date goals: Generalizing from undergraduates to single adults. Communication Research, 34, 526-547.
32. Mongeau, P.M., Serewicz, M.C.M., & Therrien, L.F. (2004). Goals for cross-sex first dates: Identification, measurement, and the influence of contextual factors. Communication Monographs, 71, 121-144.
33. Moore, M.M. (1985). Nonverbal courtship patterns in women: Context and consequences. Ethology and Sociobiology, 6, 237-247.
34. Moore, M.M. (1995). Courtship signaling and adolescents: "Girls just wanna have fun "? Journal of Sex Research, 32, 319-328.
35. Moore, M.M. (2002). Courtship communication and perception. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 94, 97-105.
36. Morris, D. (1971). Intimate behavior. New York: Random House.
37. Muehlenhard, C.L., Koralewski, M.A., Andrews, S.L., & Burdick, C.A. (1986). Verbal and nonverbal cues that convey interest in dating: Two studies. Behavior Therapy, 17, 404-419.
38. Muehlenhard, C.L., & McFall, R.M. (1981). Dating initiation from a woman's perspective. Behavior Therapy, 12, 682-691.
39. Muehlenhard, C.L., Miller, C.L., & Burdick, C.A. (1983). Are high frequency daters better cue readers? Men's interpretations of women's cues as a function of dating frequency and SHI scores. Behavior Therapy, 14, 626-636.
40. Perper, T. (1985). Sexual signals: The biology of love. Philadelphia: ISI Press.
41. Perper, T., & Weiss, D.L. (1987). Proceptive and rejective strategies of U.S. and Canadian college women. Journal of Sex Research, 23, 455-480.
42. Ridge, R.D., & Reber, J.S. (2002). I think she's attracted to me: The effect of men's beliefs on women's behavior in a job interview scenario. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 24, 1-14.
43. Rowland, D.L., Crisler, L.J., & Cox, D.J. (1982). Flirting between college students and faculty. Journal of Sex Research, 18, 346-359.
44. Saal, F., Johnson, C., & Weber, N. (1989). Friendly or sexy? It may depend on whom you ask. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 13, 263-276.
45. Shotland, R.L., & Craig, J.M. (1988). Can men and women differentiate between friendly and sexually interested behavior ? Social Psychology Quarterly, 51, 66-73.
46. Sigal, J., Gibbs, M., Adams, B., & Derfler, R. (1988). The effects of romantic and nonromantic films on perceptions of female friendly and seductive behavior. Sex Roles, 19, 545-554.
47. Simpson, J.A., Gangestad, S.W., & Biek, M. (1993). Personality and nonverbal social behavior: An ethological perspective of relationship initiation. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 29, 434-461.
48. Solomon, D.H., & Williams, M.L.M. (1997 a). Perceptions of social-sexual communication at work. Management Communication Quarterly, 11, 147-184.
49. Solomon, D.H., & Williams, M.L.M. (1997 b). Perceptions of social-sexual communication at work: The effects of message, situation, and observer characteristics on judgments of sexual harassment. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 25, 196-216.
50. Tolhuizen, J.H. (1989). Communication strategies for intensifying dating relationships: Identification, use, and structure. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 6, 413-434.
51. Trapnell, P.D., Meston, C.M., & Gorzalka, B.B. (1997). Spectatoring and the relationship between body image and sexual experience: Self-focus or self-valence ? Journal of Sex Research, 34, 267-278.
52. Williams, C.L., Giuffre, P.A., & Dellinger, K. (1999). Sexuality in the workplace: Organizational control, sexual harassment, and the pursuit of pleasure. Annual Review of Sociology, 25, 73-93.
53. Yarab, P., Allgeier, E., & Sensibaugh, C.C. (1999). Looking deeper: Extradyadic behaviors, jealousy, and perceived unfaithfulness in hypothetical dating relationships. Personal Relationships, 6, 305-316.
54. Yelvington, K.A. (1996). Flirting in the factory. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 2, 313-333.