THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2010
WWW.KANSAN.COM
VOLUME 123 ISSUE 57
TEASE TACTICS
Five flirting styles introduced by University professor
BY KELLY STRODA kstroda@kansan.com
Admit it. We've all been there at some point — frustrated with our flirting tactics — or the seeming lack thereof.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, the answers to your questions are here.
Jeffrey Hall, assistant professor of communication studies, and his colleagues recently named five different styles of flirting.
The five styles are: physical, traditional, polite, sincere and playful.
Hall, who wouldn't disclose his style of flirting, has been studying flirting for six years.
"There's no question that people are interested in flirting at this time in their life" he said.
Terry Thomas, a junior from Kansas City, Kan., said he has learned the hard way that not every type of flirting works.
He said if he were out at a club, grabbing a girl's hand doesn't always go over well.
"She doesn't know you," he said. "You are just taking the step on a limb."
Jillian Watson, a freshman from Lawrence, said she took the flirting styles quiz on the University's website and found out she's a "playful flirt."
She said she usually flirts by being touchy and joking around. But if a
guy is overly sexual or forward, she said it's a "total turnoff"
College students have a variety of relationships. Romantic, if you can believe that, plus others like casual relationships, on-again and off-again relationships and hook-ups are some of these types.
But different relationships also mean different ways of flirting.
"It makes sense that there are different styles to go about courtship." Hall said.
Hall also said some people who take the flirting styles quiz on the website might be surprised by their results.
It's possible that a person's prominent flirting style might be going against their romantic motives. For example, if a person were searching for a romantic relationship but has a playful flirting style, potential partners may not think they are serious.
Hall said some styles are less prominent among young people than among older people. Men are actually less likely to be physical and sincere when they are younger, but might have those styles as they age. Also, some women are less physical and polite when they are younger, but might gravitate toward these styles as they get older. But Hall said the most pronounced age difference is that women are much more traditional when they are younger than when they are older.
About the study
Jeffrey Hall, assistant professor of communications, said that before this study, flirting research suggested that there was really only one way to go about flirting. Hall and his co-authors had the opportunity to survey more than 5,000 adults about their ways of flirting. The adults surveyed were using the online dating website eHarmony.
Hall
But the study didn't just include college students. Participants were ages 18-94. "Having that diversity of ages allows us to actually sort of see, What is my flirting style relative to people my same age and gender?" he said. The "Flirting Styles Quiz," which can be found on KU's homepage, asks 36 questions
The "Flirting Styles Quiz," which can be found on KU's homepage, asks 36 questions about flirting preferences. Results from these questions show a person's prominent w they rank against peers.
flaring style and how they rank against peers. However, there is an important limitation to the study. Hall said.
The five styles describe heterosexual relationships only. There weren't enough homosexual participants in the study to form accurate claims, Hall said.
Hall had three co-authors in the study: Steve Carter, senior director of research and product development at eHarmony.com; Michael J. Cody, professor at the University of Southern California and Julie M. Albright, adjunct professor at the University of Southern California.
Results from their study will be published in the October issue of the journal Communication Quarterly.
Five ways of flirting
Physical
Traditional
These are people who are comfortable using their physicality and body language to express attraction. This is the style that involves aspects most people associate with flirting including body language, tone of voice and being touchy.
This style involves more traditional romantic scripts. Men should take the lead in romantic engagements and women should be more passive.Women who aren't passive are typically turnoffs. Polite
Polite
This style is based on the idea that flirting in forward or aggressive ways is unappealing. People with this flirting style are cautious and rule-governed. These people are also careful in the way they say they're interested in someone.
Sincere
People with this flirting style are seeking an emotional connection through flirting. Like the physical style, this is one of the more prominent ways that people go about expressing attraction. If this style is adopted on its own, the person isn't really interested in sexual chemistry, but more about learning about the person behind the body.
Playful
We think of playful flirts as flirting with everyone they meet. They feel like flirting is fun and that is doesn't have to be reserved for sexual interest or romantic desire.
HANNAH ARREDONDO Kansas City, Mo. freshman
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
How do you flirt?
I just, you know, hit him. I would say wink, but I don't really do that. I like when people wink at me. I don't know. Smile a lot. That's it.
What could a guy do that would be a turnoff?
When they send smiley faces in texts and winky texts, that's the one thing that really bothers me.
PHIL SHUSTER Topeka freshman
How do you flirt?
How do you furt?
I just talk to girls and if they talk back, I just keep talking to them, I guess.
What should flirting be?
Flirting should be fun and joking around at first Then you can take it a little more serious when you get to know them more.
JASON HABERLY Independence senior
How do you flirt?
I had a lady tell me today that I'm very forward. I'm broke so I'm adamant about the fact that the only thing I could bring to a casual encounter would be food. I just try to get a smile on a flirt. I leave the sexual innuendos out of it because it's not about sex. It's just about friendship. Friendship can turn into something else. It's all situational. Each flirtation is different. I'm a situational flirt I guess.
BRITINI DELGADO Louisburg senior
How do you flirt?
Jokes are a good way to break the ice and laughter. That's how I started the relationship with my boyfriend. It wasn't corny. It was fun and original stuff.
CAMPUS
Grad-A-Palooza to guide futures
Whether a freshman or senior,it's never too early to start planning for graduation.
today, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will be hosting Grad-A-Palooza, a new event created to help students graduate in a timely manner and avoid potential academic pitfalls. For the majority of students, this means graduating in four years. Many juniors and
BY STEPHEN GRAY sgray@kansan.com
seniors, however, may not realize all of the necessary steps to take in order to graduate on time, leading to some potential trip-ups.
Lauren McEnaney, a graduation advisor, said the event will re-educate students in the ability to read an ARTS form and a degree audit, and help them learn to avoid and plan for possible snags, such as problems with transfer credits and petitioning
SEE GRAD FAIR ON PAGE 3A
University standards face new scrutiny
ADMISSIONS | 6A
An admissions task force approved recommendations for increasing the requirements for admission. The Board of Regents will have the final say in January.
As the season progresses, Bill Self wants the team to sharpen its defensive skills, especially in the absence of Cole Aldrich.
BASKETBALL | 1B
Hawks to focus on defense
Campus jobs provide ease
EMPLOYMENT 3A
75 LOW 50
Students often forget to consider on-campus employment throughout the school-year, even though KU jobs prove to be flexible and convenient for students who spend time on campus.
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