Photo: flickr/ekelly89
Have you ever really thought about how weird kissing is? Why do humans choose to mash their lips together as a display of affection? (The only other animals that we know do this are Chimpanzees
and bonobos.) The two scientific studies below set out to determine the function of kissing in humans. The first used a survey to find out why people kiss. Interestingly, the researchers found little evidence to suggest that the primary function of kissing is to promote sexual arousal. Instead, they think that kissing "serves a useful mate-assessment function"; apparently, women and people desiring a long-term relationship place more value on kissing. The second study focused on whether women place a higher importance on kissing when they're ovulating (suggesting, again, that it is important in mate assessment). They found that ovulation was indeed a key factor: "women in the follicular [fertile] phase of their menstrual ...
