Don’t dismiss flirting as unimportant.

A Kansas University researcher has found that the early part of developing relationships is often important to the success of long-term relationships.

Assistant communication studies professor Jeffrey Hall has surveyed more than 5,100 people about how they showed romantic interest.

He found that different flirting styles lead to different outcomes. For instance, people who flirt for fun and to enhance their self esteem are less likely to have important and meaningful relationships.

Hall says people might be able to avoid past dating mistakes by learning more about how they communicate attraction.

People interested in learning more about how they flirt can log onto the University of Kansas website and take a quiz.