Wed Day

Kissing!

I'm a big fan, I'm totally on board with kissing. I kiss the hubs as much as possible. It's not a good morning or a good night (or a welcome home, or a have a nice day, or a great job killing those zombies in that video game) without a kiss. But why are we so compelled to kiss? This article can shed some light: 

Recent research conducted by Rafael Wlodarski, a DPhil student in the Department of Experimental Psychology at Oxford University, and Professor Robin Dunbar sought to find clues to the evolutionary rationale for kissing. Does it allow us to assess the genetic mojo of potential mates? Is it just a stimulating routine that preludes sex, or does it function to keep mates together longer?

Wlodarksi and Dunbar surveyed over 900 adults online about their kissing habits and its importance in their relationships. They found that women rated kissing as generally more important than men. Additionally, men and women who thought of themselves as attractive, or had more short-term relationships and casual sex, also thought kissing was more important.

On top of that, people in long-term relationships rated kissing as more important, and kissing frequency also correlated to relationship satisfaction. Good lovin', it turns out, does keep a home together.
The researchers are publishing their findings in two papers in two journals, Archives of Sexual Behavior and Human Nature. In the latter paper, Wlodarksi and Dunbar report that menstrual cycles also play a role in making out, as women tended to rate kissing as more important during the late-follicular phase, when they were more likely to conceive.

We mammals (humans particularly) spend a long time pregnant and then breast feeding, which makes us especially picky about choosing a mate. So kissing maybe a way to help us better select the lucky one, and then used as a tool to ensure they'll be around after the deed is done. Fascinating, yes? 
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