Your Flirting Style Predicts The Outcome Of Your Relationship

When it comes to the dating game, how you flirt can make or break a potential relationship, since it's the first move you make to signal your interest in someone you fancy. Would you confidently catch his eye and smile? Or would you wait for him to make the first move?

Here's probably one of the most intriguing research findings on flirtation techniques for all the singles out there:

Five main styles of flirting have been identified in a study by Jeffery Hall, an assistant professor of communication studies at the University of Kansas, and colleagues. Namely: Physical, traditional, polite, sincere and playful.

And more importantly, how each of the different flirting styles affects your odds of finding love. "In some ways," Hall says, "the very early part of developing relationships is important to the success of long-term relationships, including marriages."

5 types of flirts

In his research, Hall surveyed more than 5,100 men and women about their flirting techniques. Survey participants were asked questions like "I am good at showing my sexual interest" and "Flirting with others makes me feel more attractive" and were grouped into five categories based on their responses:

Physical flirts

Physical flirts are not afraid to communicate sexual interest to their potential partner. Relationships develop quickly for these flirts and they have more sexual chemistry and emotional connection.

Traditional flirts

These are old-school flirts who believe men should take the lead and ladies shouldn't make the first move. Traditional flirts are typically more introverted. Because women take a passive approach, they're less likely to flirt and get their target's attention. For male traditional flirts, he usually takes a longer time to get to know a woman before trying to date her.

Polite flirts

Polite flirts express their interest -- via proper manners and nonsexual communication. These cautious flirts don't find the flirting game flattering, and may not be very active in approaching a potential partner, but once they fall in love, they tend to have meaningful relationships.

Sincere flirts

As the name implies, it's all about sincerity for these flirts. They have an honest interest in who you are and want to make an emotional connection. When sincere flirts get into a relationship, those relationships are pretty meaningful and involve strong emotional bonds and sexual chemistry. Women tend to score higher in this style.

Playful flirts

Playful flirts do it for the fun and the boost to their self-esteem, with little interest in a long-term relationship. They're likely to attract shorter, less serious relationships.

Looks like polite and sincere flirting are your best bets if you want to attract a long-term partner. While playful, physical flirtation tends to lead to shorter, more casual relationships, according to the study. Hall sums it up best: If you are unhappy with the type of person you attract then it probably means you should switch your flirting technique