The Benefits of Flirtation in Negotiation

Does flirtation help or hurt a woman negotiating? According to new research, it helps – creating better economic outcomes for the female negotiators, if the flirtatiousness is perceived as above and beyond friendliness. The study in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin examined "feminine charm” in negotiations through four different experiments, looking at the balance between friendliness and flirtatiousness. Flirtation as opposed to friendliness, the research found, signals self-interest and competitiveness.

Read more about this and other new studies, including about moving beyond cultural stereotypes to understand "shooter bias," in the July tipsheet for journalists.