Does extraversion increase following a three-hour flirt training? Exploring two training routes

Abstract

Flirting situations are opportunities to behave in extraverted ways. However, it is not clear whether engaging in flirting behavior predicts extraversion. The current study explored whether extraversion increases following a 3-h flirt training and compared two training routes to flirting. A two-arm randomized pre-post design with two active conditions were used. Ninety-six adults between 18 and 49 years (67.7% women) were randomized to either: (1) a problem-oriented training strategy that aims to compensate for problems and deficits related to flirting; or (2) a strengths-oriented training strategy that capitalizes on individuals' strengths and resources. The outcome variables were assessed before and 30 days after the training. Participants in both conditions reported higher scores in flirting behavior as well as in extraversion following the trainings. The results suggest that flirt trainings are potentially interesting indirect intervention approaches to increase the expression of extraversion.