Flirting Competence: An Experimental Study on Appropriate and Effective Opening Lines

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to examine the appropriateness and effectiveness of five flirtatious opening lines enacted by a male participant to initiate conversation with a female participant. Video messages were constructed to represent the following opening lines: direct introductions, direct compliments, humor attempts, cute–flippant lines, and third-party introductions. Participants were 642 college students who viewed one of these five videos and reported on the appropriateness and effectiveness of an opening line after controlling for perceptions of actor physical attractiveness. Results indicated that participants rated the third-party introduction and direct introduction opening lines as the most appropriate, whereas the third-party introduction was perceived as the most effective. Direct compliments, humor attempts, and cute–flippant lines were rated as equally inappropriate and ineffective.

Keywords:

• Competence
• Flirtation
• Flirting
• Opening Lines
• Pick-Up Lines

Notes

Note. Means with different subscripts are significantly different from each other.

^a F(4, 621) = 125.13, p < .001 (partial η² = 44.6%).

^b F(4, 621) = 41.00, p < .001 (partial η² = 21.1%).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Keith Weber

Keith Weber (EdD, West Virginia University, 1998) is an associate professor in the Department of Communication Studies at West Virginia University.

Alan K. Goodboy

Alan K. Goodboy (PhD, West Virginia University, 2007) is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Bloomsburg University.

Jacob L. Cayanus

Jacob L. Cayanus (EdD, West Virginia University, 2005) is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication and Journalism at Oakland University.