Since it's a romantic weekend, an article about kissing and the science behind it popped out at me.
Of course, all kissing doesn't have to be romantic. I smooch my kids on an hourly (or more!) basis and we kiss on the lips still, since they are all little. I remember when each was born, I couldn't stop kissing them on their gorgeous little mouths, even if they were only a few minutes old. I told myself to stop, that their immune systems might be compromised - that my germy mouth might render them with a cold by the time they were 24 hours old!
But alas, I couldn't stop. I transferred my kisses to their cheeks, for the most part, although I sneaked in the odd smooch to their little lips on occasion. And none of them got sick. Kissing your own babies is addictive and I hope no-one ever finds a cure!
Romantic kissing is done the world over. The vast majority of human beings kiss. In fact, about 90% of the world's population kisses in a romantic way.
Researchers at Layfayette College in Pennsylvania studied kissing and it's impact on romantic relationships. We have often heard that someone being a terrible kisser is often a deal-breaker and the relationship often falters and ends if no improvement is seen. Yes, it seems - kissing is that important! And it's not just a social or societal thing - it's scientific.
Kissing releases the hormones oxytocin and cortisol - the former relates to social bonding while the latter connects to stress. These hormones in men and women in the study reacted differently. Women are usually attracted to men with a different immune system to theirs and scents released in kissing can allow a woman to unconsciously detect the man’s immune system.
So how was the study conducted? According to CNN, the researchers “looked at college students age 18 to 22, and examined hormone levels in 15 heterosexual couples. In the control group, participants held hands and talked with their partner while music played. In the experimental group, participants were told to open-mouth kiss their partner for the length of the music -- 16 minutes.
The results showed that oxytocin levels in the women decreased after the session, but increased in the men. Levels of cortisol decreased for everyone.
A second experiment in a more romantic setting -- a secluded room with jazz music, flowers and electric candles -- looked at nine heterosexual couples and three lesbian couples.
Researchers found that the longer the relationship of a couple, the more the cortisol levels declined in those people. The heterosexual women, moreover, said they felt greater intimacy with their partners than the heterosexual men or the homosexual women did, while all groups expressed equal satisfaction in kissing their partners.”
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/02/13/kissing.science/index.html
Also discovered? Women want kissing before a sexual encounter more than men. Another study showed that bad kissing can end a relationship 50% of the time.
Tell Us
How important is romantic kissing to you? Have you ever ended a blossoming relationship due to the other person being a terrible kisser?