Psychology Facts

▼ Kissing ▼

》From a psychological perspective, kissing aids in creating and maintaining bonds with our partners. It can be seen as a form of 'attachment behavior,' similar to hugging or hand-holding. These acts reduce stress and increase feelings of trust, satisfaction, and closeness in a relationship.

》From a social standpoint, kissing is a culturally-accepted way of expressing various emotions like love, respect, and friendship. While the specific customs around kissing vary widely across cultures, it remains a universal form of human behavior that transcends societal and cultural boundaries.

》Some scientists believe that kissing is a learned behavior, since roughly 10 percent of humans don't kiss at all and considerably fewerTrusted Source kiss with romantic or sexual intent. Others believe kissing is instinctual and rooted in biology.

》According to Scientific American, in the 1960s, British zoologist and author Desmond Morris speculated that kissing evolved from behavior exhibited by monkeys. Primate mothers would chew food for their young and then feed them, mouth-to-mouth and with their lips puckered. Morris believes that this later developed into a way to comfort hungry children, and then eventually to show love and affection. Through evolution, kissing evolved, too.

》When you kiss someone for the first time, you get a spike of dopamine in your body. It makes you crave it even more.

》Psychopaths are more likely to kiss with their eyes wide open.

》You can think of a kiss as a sniff
In a study from 2000, conducted by the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, researchers found that women prefer the scents of potential romantic partners whose genes are different than their own, which, in theory, would allow them to have children with stronger immune systems. These findings suggested that kissing is our low-key, canine-like way of getting information about someone.

》Kiss can be 10 times more effective than morphine in reducing pain.

》Kissing makes your heart beat faster and pumps more oxygen to your brain.

》A first kiss is enough for a woman to pass judgement on her partner.
A 2007 study found that women can make up their minds about a potential mate after that first kiss. The study looked at 1,041 heterosexual co-eds and found that kissing is more important to women when it comes to deciding whether they want to date someone or not. A similar study in 2013 found that women will typically make a snap judgement about a relationship based on a first kiss. (It's worth noting that both of these studies only examined straight people.)

》Kissing releases oxytocin in the brain. It is a hormone that strengthens the emotional bond between two people

》People tend to tilt their head right when going for a romantic kiss and turn left when going to kiss a someone unromantically (like kissing your grandma on the cheek)

》Why couples veer right may be explained by the left brain's reward center, since couples associate kissing with feelings of reward, therefore right-turned kisses could be associated with the increased use of the brain's left hemisphere.

》Based on a sample of a thousand college students, researchers found that women placed much importance on kiss quality and satisfaction, and wouldn't engage in sexual encounters without it, whereas men didn't make kissing a sex prerequisite nor did they mind having sex with bad kissers.

》Research has found that kissing may lower cortisol levels, making you feel safe, relaxed and happy

》Men tend to initiate French kissing and research suggests this is because saliva contains testosterone and this increases the sex drive of their mate.

》Kissing causes the production and release of adrenaline and noradrenaline. They get your body ready for "fight or flight," or simply put, they make you alert and get you ready for action.

》The excitement related to a kiss triggers your nervous system to automatically respond to it that in turn dilates your pupils . This happens because the nervous system allows light to penetrate your eyes, making them more sensitive and so you close them.

》It is oxytocin that maintains the love in your relationship because of its connection to feelings

》Kissing enhances your metabolic rate, thus; triggering your body to burn calories .

》Locking lips causes you to swap about 300 kinds of bacteria with your partner. These living bacteria in your and your partner's body helps you fight infections better and also shield against allergies, especially in the flu season.

》not everyone likes getting kissed or sees kissing the way you do. It doesn't matter if you're greeting someone new, puckering up to peck a bestie, or going into a smooch sesh with a romantic interest — you should always ask before you smooch.
And don't forget to practice good oral hygiene for a fresh, kiss-worthy mouth.