Proteans (body language)

Proteans are subtle, often subconscious, flirting signals, such as a woman's touching her hair when first meeting a man.

The term, or "Proteus effect", was coined by researchers at the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford, UK who were studying courtship behavior.

The researchers named the ritual for the shape-shifting Greek god because of the ambiguity of the signals. The name also suggests a first impression, or something that precedes actual flirting. Because of the unconscious nature of proteans, they are not overt invitations to proceed, but more akin to "tells" in a poker game.

These signals often indicate that the sender is trying to decide whether he/she is interested in the "receiver". However, some men, instead of playing along, will overestimate the woman's interest and do something more obvious, like asking for a phone number. This can be clumsy and confusing to both parties, and understanding the concept of protean signals is useful for avoiding such missteps. [ [http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_18-3-2003_pg9_17 Daily Times, Pakistan Mar 17 2003: Solved: flirting code that baffles the boys] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.sirc.org/news/sirc_in_the_news_2003.html SIRC's "in the news" page for 2003] – See March 2003 for related articles
* [http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn420 New Scientist - Girl talk] – Review of an Austrian study of similar phenomena