Social–Sexual Interactions? Meta-Analyses of Sex Differences in Perceptions of Flirtatiousness,Seductiveness, and Promiscuousness |
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| Abstract: | Scholars have assessed the degree to which heterosexual men and women make differential judgments of flirtatiousness, seductiveness, and promiscuousness during cross-sex interactions. Findings from extant research suggest that men decode verbal and nonverbal communication cues differently than do women, and this difference results in men's tendency to rate individuals more highly in levels of these social–sexual constructs than do women. This paper reports the results of three meta-analyses that provided estimates of the magnitude of the sex differences in perceptions of flirtatiousness, seductiveness, and promiscuousness and argues that these results are consistent with error management theory. Sex of target and mode of observation interacted to impact observed sex differences. Sex differences were strongest for female targets when research participants were observers of face-to-face interactions (average r=.32), whereas sex differences in evaluations of flirtatiousness, seductiveness, and promiscuousness were strongest for participants who were rating male targets in face-to-face interactions (average r=.36). The implications of these results are discussed. |
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| Keywords: | Meta-analysis Social–Sexual Interactions Abbey Sex Differences Error Management Theory |
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