Research defines more behaviors that reveal romantic attraction

A 2014 University of Kansas study by Jeffrey Hall found that people show attraction in ways that match their personal flirting style, which is part of why flirting is so easy to miss.

The study

Researchers recorded 51 pairs of opposite-sex strangers chatting for about 10–12 minutes, using prompt cards ("What accomplishment are you most proud of?"). Each person had already identified their flirting style, and afterwards rated how attracted they were to their partner. The team coded 36 verbal and non-verbal behaviours, from compliments and questions to leaning, leg-crossing and fiddling with objects.

The five flirting styles

Hall groups people into five styles, each showing attraction differently:

Sincere: Shows interest through focused attention and personal sharing. They were attentive and fidgeted less. Sincere women smiled and laughed more, and used the classic coy glance.
Traditional: Believes the man should make the first move. Traditional men leaned in with open posture. Traditional women were more reserved, showed their palms and wrists, and teased gently.
Polite: The hardest to read. Respectful and hands-off. As they became more attracted, they actually leaned back and kept more space, which most people would read as disinterest.
Physical: Expresses interest through body language. Surprisingly, they gave fewer compliments when attracted, and seemed less at ease in a quiet one-on-one setting than in bars and parties.
Playful: Treats flirting as fun and light-hearted.

Takeaways

Most flirting is subtle, and everyone does it differently.
People are good at telling when someone isn't interested, and bad at telling when they are.
Read signals against the person's normal behaviour (see Indicators of Interest), and when in doubt, make a clear move rather than waiting for certainty.

The study

The five flirting styles

Takeaways

See also