ABSTRACT
This chapter describes how an evolutionary perspective can provide insight into and explanations about sex differences and similarities in courting behaviors and about flirtation in particular. It considers how differential reproductive pressures might affect flirting behavior and presents evidence that is consistent with an evolutionary perspective. The intent is to show the adaptive nature of flirtation as well as how our knowledge of interpersonal processes can enrich our understanding of evolutionary processes in humans. Although the chapter has addressed the communication demands on men and women separately, it is important to note that neither sex totally commands a successful flirtation episode. It specifically examines how women's and men's search behaviors may differ based on their different goals in finding a partner. Men usually appear to be running the show, but it can be argued with some justice that they are peripheral hangers-on whose posturing and prancing is largely irrelevant to the essential business of human life and procreation.
