Proteans (or the Proteus effect) are unpredictable, subtle, often subconscious,
flirting
Flirting or coquetry is a social and sexual behavior involving spoken or written communication, as well as body language. It is either to suggest interest in a deeper relationship with the other person or, if done playfully, for amusement.
I ...
signals, such as a woman's touching of her hair when first meeting a man.
The term was coined by Humphries and Driver in 1970
for unpredictable behaviour exhibited by prey animals. It was used in the context of human
courtship
Courtship is the period wherein some couples get to know each other prior to a possible marriage. Courtship traditionally may begin after a betrothal and may conclude with the celebration of marriage. A courtship may be an informal and private m ...
behaviour by Grammer ''et al.'' in 2000.
The researchers named the ritual for the shape-shifting
Greek god
The following is a list of gods, goddesses, and many other divine and semi-divine figures from ancient Greek mythology and ancient Greek religion.
Immortals
The Greeks created images of their deities for many purposes. A temple would house the ...
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.
One study found that women tend to exhibit interest in the first few minutes of their interactions with strangers regardless of their level of attraction, and only indicated their true level of interest after this time.
These signals often indicate that the sender is trying to decide whether they are interested in the "receiver". However, some individuals, instead of playing along, will overestimate the sender'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. Misinterpreting those cues and responding to them overeagerly is commonly said to happen to men more than women, although both can suffer when this happens.
Daily Times, Pakistan Mar 17 2003: Solved: flirting code that baffles the boys
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See also
* Fidgeting
Fidgeting is the act of moving about restlessly in a way that is not (socially recognized as) essential to ongoing tasks or events. Fidgeting may involve playing with one's fingers, hair, or personal objects (e.g. glasses, pens or items of cloth ...
References
Interpersonal attraction
Nonverbal communication