Abstract
Participants reacted to descriptions of initiations of heterosexual relationships in which the sequence of two initiations (starting a conversation and issuing a dinner invitation) and the sex of the two initiators were factorially manipulated. Male first-initiators were perceived more positively than female first-initiators, regardless of type of initiation, and indirect initiations (conversation first) were perceived as more acceptable than direct initiations (dinner invitation first) for both sexes. Male respondents indicated more willingness to engage in both types of initiations than females. There were no other sex differences in perceptions.
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References
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Sanderson, J. Starting up the relationship. Los Angeles Times, July 22, 1979, Part 7, p. 6.
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The authors wish to thank Alan Gross for helpful comments at various stages of this project.
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Green, S.K., Sandos, P. Perceptions of male and female initiators of relationships. Sex Roles 9, 849–852 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289958
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289958