Courtship and Rejection Signals Researches – 3

The third and last research concerns rejection signals, those signals that women use for discouraging men. This research had a similar goal of the preceding ones: the creation of a catalog of facial expressions and gestures through the observation of selected subjects.

Unlike the previous studies, where gestures and expressions were intended to attract potential partners, they were courtship signals, this research is looking for rejection signals, those used by women to discourage the approach of unwanted men.

When one or more rejection signals were directed to the man, one of these behaviors followed: the man walked away from the woman, the man looked away, the man directed his body in another direction or the man ended his conversation with the woman.

Researchers have noted that these signals are used, in combination with courtship ones, to regulate the interaction with men. Through a mix of these signals, women are able to attract the attention of men, using flirting behaviors, but at the same time, if the situation, after the approach, becomes too “hot”, they can “cool down" the interaction with the use of rejection signals. The number of rejection signals cataloged by the observers is close to 20.

At this point, we own an ethogram of female solicitation behaviors, a catalog that comprises both the signals used by women to attract potential partners, courtship signals, and those used for discouraging possible approaches, rejection signals.

With this information we are able to understand, observing gestures, facial expressions and postures, if a woman is available or not to be approached and, by looking at the typology and recipients of her signals, which are the persons she is attracted from. 

The catalog in our possession contains a total of about 70 nonverbal behaviors: 2/3 are courtship signals and 1/3 are rejection signals. These signals have been divided into three categories: the first one comprising facial expressions and head movements, the second one gestures (legs, arms, torso, etc) and the last one postures.