1. Sex and Sexual Orientation Differences in Flirting Behaviors
Emma Fortunato & Dr. Sarah L. Strout
Dominican College

2. Introduction
Flirting an important aspect of mating strategies (e.g. Moore, 1985; Grammar, 1990; Simpson, Gangestad, & Biek, 1993; Jesser, 1978)
Focus of these studies on heterosexual flirting behaviors
Very few examined homosexual flirting behavior (e.g. Rose & Zand, 2002)

3. Current Study
Past research has not directly compared men and women on flirting behavior or heterosexual and homosexual differences
Current study examines sex and sexual orientation differences on flirting behaviors

4. Hypothesis
Sex differences would occur, but that sexual orientation differences would not
i.e.: Biological sex would be more influential on flirting than sexual orientation

5. Method
Participants invited via Facebook, Twitter and a Human Subjects Pool
180 participants (133 female, 47 male; 135 heterosexual, 45 homosexual)
Demographic questions
Flirting behaviors

6. Flirting Behaviors
Asked to indicate how often they engage in various flirting behaviors (adapted from Moore, 1980)
Example of behaviors:
Tilting head
Lifting eyebrows
Touching the arm
Leaning on the person
Whispering and exaggerating gestures

7. Analysis Males vs. females on all flirting behaviors
Homosexual vs. heterosexual participants on all flirting behaviors
Two way analysis of sex and sexual orientation on all flirting behaviors
Factor analysis on flirting behaviors
Same comparisons using factors

8. Results: Sex Differences
Women were more likely to:
Flip hair (p=.00, d=1.0)
Pout (p=.04, d=0.3)
Giggle (p=.00, d=0.7)
Smile shyly (p=.00, d=0.5)
Run fingers through hair (p=.00, d=0.5)
Put on lipstick/lip balm
(p=.00, d=1.0)

9. Results: Sex Differences
Men were more likely to:
Stand next to the person (p=.04, d=0.3)
Place their palm on the other person (p=.02, d=0.3)
Tap the person (p=.00, d=0.4)
Touch the other person (p=.03, d=0.3)
Flex their arms (p=.00, d=1.0)
Point at the other person (p=.04, d=0.3)
Lean towards the person (p=.02, d=0.4)
Put face next to face (p=.01, d=0.4)
Put arm on person’s shoulder (p=.00, d=0.7)

10. Results: Sex Orientation
Sexual Orientation Differences:
T-test analyses did not reveal sexual orientation differences for any flirting behaviors
Factorial Analysis
A 2x2 (sex*sexual orientation) factorial did not reveal any interaction between sex and sexual orientation

11. Results: Exploratory Factor Analysis
The factor analysis revealed two factors:
Touching the other person
Expressing emotion

12. Results: T-test with Factors
Men were more likely to touch (p=.00, d=0.4)
Women more likely to express emotion (p=.00, d=0.5)
No difference between homosexual and heterosexual participants for either factor

13. Discussion Men and women use different flirting behaviors
Men more likely to use behaviors that involved touching other person; women were more likely to use emotion expressions
No significant differences between homosexual and heterosexual participants

14. Discussion cont.
Evolutionary studies have shown that biological sex may have more of an influence over mating strategies than sexual orientation (e.g. Bailey, Gaulin, Agyei, & Gladue, 1994; Bailey, Kim, Hill, & Linsemeier, 1997; Lippa, 2007).
Suggests that in many aspects of mating behaviors, homosexual people may behave in similar ways to heterosexual people

15. Limitations Small number of participants
Disproportionate number of female and heterosexual participants
New scale

16. Future Research More male and homosexual participants
Observational research

17. Thank You! Questions? Email: