In a small study by Jeffrey Hall (only 52 data points), he found that men were only able to identify when someone had flirted with them during a ten minute conversation with 36% accuracy, and women 18%.
They were 80% accurate at detecting when flirting hadn't happened. But both sexes were very poor at detecting when people actually were flirting with them, with women only half as socially skilled at identifying flirting behavior as men.
In a second study, third party observers were found to be equally poor at identifying when flirting was happening between others. They were 66% accurate at identifying when flirting hadn't happened, but only 38% accurate at identifying when others were flirting, with men again being the more socially skilled at identifying flirting behavior --women were only able to identify flirtation behavior by others 22% of the time.
Hall's study even had cases where both the man and woman thought they were flirting effectively, but didn’t think the other was flirting back.
“Talk about a missed opportunity,” Hall said.
They were 80% accurate at detecting when flirting hadn't happened. But both sexes were very poor at detecting when people actually were flirting with them, with women only half as socially skilled at identifying flirting behavior as men.
In a second study, third party observers were found to be equally poor at identifying when flirting was happening between others. They were 66% accurate at identifying when flirting hadn't happened, but only 38% accurate at identifying when others were flirting, with men again being the more socially skilled at identifying flirting behavior --women were only able to identify flirtation behavior by others 22% of the time.
Hall's study even had cases where both the man and woman thought they were flirting effectively, but didn’t think the other was flirting back.
“Talk about a missed opportunity,” Hall said.
"Alpha children wear grey. They work much harder than we do, because they're so frightfully clever. I'm awfully glad I'm a Beta, because I don't work so hard. And then we are much better than the Gammas and Deltas. Gammas are stupid. They all wear green, and Delta children wear khaki. Oh no, I don't want to play with Delta children. And Epsilons are still worse. They're too stupid to be able to read or write. Besides they wear black, which is such a beastly color. I'm so glad I'm a Beta."
--Aldous Huxley, Brave New World