WHOS WOOING WHOM .2. AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF DATE-INITIATIONAND EXPECTANCY VIOLATION

Several recent studies focused on first date expectations and enactmen t. These studies indicate that men evaluate female-initiated first dat es in more sexual ways than do females. Results from these studies ind icate, however, that participants report less intimacy on such dates. This study uses expectancy violation theory to investigate these appar ently conflicting results. Participants evaluated either a male or fem ale target person following a date initiation. Evaluations of targets' specific sexual expectations for the date are consistent with the not ion that males may enter female-initiated first dates with heightened sexual expectations. Results also indicate that participants evaluated date initiators as more sociable, more liberal, and less physically a ttractive than the person being asked.