Flirting with temptation

Temptation may be everywhere, but it's how the different sexes react to flirtation that determines the effect it will have on their relationships. Men may not see their flirtations with an attractive woman as threatening to another relationship while women do, according to findings from a study in the July issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Researchers found that women protect their relationship more when an attractive man enters the picture but men look more negatively at their partner after they've met an available, attractive woman. Men can learn to resist temptation when trained to think that flirting with an attractive woman could destroy their relationship, said lead author John E. Lydon of McGill. Danielle Menzies-Toman, Kimberly Burton of McGill and Chris Bell of York were co-authors on the study.