LAWRENCE, Kan. – A little self-awareness can help people struggling in the world of relationships, says Jeffrey Hall, assistant professor of communication studies at the University of Kansas.
Hall recently completed a study into styles of flirting among dating adults, surveying more than 5,100 people regarding their methods of communicating romantic interest.
"Knowing something about the way you communicate attraction says something about challenges you might have had in your past dating life," Hall said. "Hopefully, this awareness can help people avoid those mistakes and succeed in courtship."
He identified five styles of flirting: physical, traditional, polite, sincere and playful.
Hall said that for the most part, there was little difference between genders within each flirting style.
The research results likely will be used by future researchers who study courtship behaviors, Hall said. But he added that such information has overall value to society.
"In some ways, the very early part of developing relationships is important to the success of long-term relationships, including marriages," he said.
The results of the survey appear in the October issue of the journal Communication Quarterly . Hall co-authored the article with Steve Carter, senior director of research and product development at eHarmony.com; Michael J. Cody, professor in the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California; and Julie M. Albright, adjunct professor of sociology at USC.
Take the flirting styles survey: http://connect.ku.edu/tests/flirt/
Communication Quarterly