d the exaggerated form of many signals. Findings were said to help to explain the process through which women acquire and refine the nonverbal behaviors used in courtship.
Abrahams (1994) examined perceptual dimensions underlying flirtatiousness judgments in a three-phased study. Specifically, Abrahams was interested in determining: (1) the perceptual dimensions that underlie flirtatiousness judgments; (2) whether there were gender differences in these dimensions; and (3) whether men and women vary in the degree to which they employ these perceptual dimensions in making their judgments of flirtatiousness.
Based on an INDSCAL procedure and regression analyses completed on the sorting data of 94 participants (47 men and 47 women), six perceptual dimensions underlying flirtatiousness judgments were found: sexual assertiveness, overtness, invitation, playfulness, nonverbalness, and unconventionality. Additionally, it was found that men and women used identical dimensions in assessing the flirtatiousness of the episodes employed as stimuli. With a slight exception for perceptions of invitation, men and women judged the flirtation episodes similarly on the uncovered dimensions.
One of the most researched areas in the flirtation literature has been the relationship of flirtation to sexual jealousy. That flirtation is related to jealousy can be seen in Zammuner and Fischer's (1995) cross-cultural study of the communication of emotions in jealousy situations.
Methods used in Zammuner and Fischer's (1995) study involved the administration of structured questionnaires to 301 Italian and 262 Dutch university students, who were asked to attribute emotions to the protagonist in vignettes. Interestingly, it was found that while both sexes stated that they would feel sadness and anger in response to a flirtation incident, women were even more likely to have a jealous reaction than men.
One recent study of flirtation and jea...