Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

submittedVersion

Publication Date

7-2020

Abstract

Objective: We investigated whether men's social confidence in an initial, opposite-sex chatting context can be improved through a video tutorial and the extent to which being perceived as socially confident results in being seen as more romantically desirable and worthy of future contact. Method: Women chatted with men who had received or not received a tutorial on how to handle speed-dating chats (Study 1: N = 129; Study 2: N = 60) or with male targets selected for having high versus moderate confidence in handling initial, opposite-sex encounters (Study 3: N = 46). Results: Tutorial-trained men felt more confident going into the chats and they, as well as male targets selected for their confidence, were perceived by female chat partners to be higher in social confidence, status, and dominance. However, only perceptions of social confidence were further associated with being perceived as more romantically desirable (as a short-term mate) and worthy of future contact. Conclusions: Findings indicate that social confidence is trainable and that other-perceived social confidence can impact the outcomes of social interactions.

Keywords

attraction, evolutionary psychology, mate selection, short-term mating, social confidence

Discipline

Applied Behavior Analysis | Social Psychology

Research Areas

Psychology

Publication

Journal of Personality

First Page

1

Last Page

17

ISSN

0022-3506

Identifier

10.1111/jopy.12568

Publisher

Wiley: 24 months

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12568

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