The study results show that men who preferred one-night stands were more likely to use assertive strategies when flirting with women; Results from the second survey showed that men with negative sexist attitudes (as opposed to benevolent sexism, which involves chivalry) were also more likely than others to use assertive flirting strategies, possibly as a way to “put women in their place” in a submissive or yielding role within the relationship, the researcher said.

Among the female participants, those women who were open to casual sex were also more likely to respond positively to men’s aggressive strategies. In addition, women with sexist attitudes toward other members of their own gender were more likely to respond to men’s assertive strategies.

The study suggests that sexist women accept and positively receive dominant strategies, such as when a man is physically aggressive with the first move or uses heavy come-on lines, because they find men who treat them in a dominant way during courtship more desirable, as the behavior is consistent with their own sexist ideology.