Gender Differences in Nonverbal Flirtation

A naturalistic observation study of 70 couples indicated that women play a subtle yet major role in the initiation and maintenance of flirtation. Compared with men, women were more likely to gaze at their partners, exhibit positive facial expressions, briefly touch their partners, use grooming gestures, and display closed body postures. Men, in contrast, used more intimate touching than women. Gender-related differences in flirtation also varied over time; women deescalated the flirtation more in the beginning of the interaction, and men deescalated more later. Couples also did more continuous and intimate touching in a later as opposed to earlier stage of flirtation. These findings have practical implications for sex educators and therapists who are concerned with increasing students' and clients' understanding of how to achieve intimacy, be more sensitive to a partner's nonverbal communication, and prevent sexual aggression.