Interpreting Social Sexual Communication: Relational Framing Theory and Social Sexual Communication, Attraction, and Intent
Drawing from relational framing theory (RFT) this manuscript proposes that during social sexual communication, 3 primary social sexual frames guide the interpretation of communication and 4 primary relational outcomes are drawn from that interpretation. The factor structure of this model was explored in an undergraduate sample (Study 1, N 219) and confirmed in an online adult sample (Study 2, N 344) using written, photographic, and video stimuli. Hypotheses drawn from RFT were tested using the combined sample. The relevance of social sexual frames when interpreting text messages exchanged with potential partners was explored in Study 3 (N 107) Results suggest that 3 distinct frames (i.e. seductiveness, flirtatiousness, and friendliness) inform attraction (i.e. physical and social) and relationship (i.e. sexual and romantic) outcomes in courtship.