Factors associated with perceived self-efficacy in online and face-to-face flirting skills

Abstract

Research typically examines the effectiveness of different hook-up strategies used by people to attract potential partners. And yet, only a limited number of studies have addressed self-perceptions regarding flirting skills and which variables contribute to those perceptions. To address this research gap, we developed the Perceived Flirting Self-Efficacy (PFSE) scale and assessed its psychometric properties and individual correlates in a sample of Colombian young adults (N = 857). Results showed the validity and reliability of this measure in assessing perceived self-efficacy for flirting in both social media (PFSE-SM) and face-to-face contexts (PFSE-F2F). Multiple regression analyses showed that higher PFSE-SM scores were associated with being younger, sociosexually unrestricted, and more connected to social networks. Higher PFSE-F2F scores were associated with being more extroverted, more open to experiences, sociosexually unrestricted, and more connected to social networks. Our findings highlight the importance of distinguishing flirting behaviors in different contexts, emphasizing the importance of future research to delve deeper into self-perceptions when examining flirting dynamics.