Sex differences in romantic kissing among college students: An evolutionary perspective

1. Sex differences in romantic kissing among college students: An evolutionary perspective Summary by Amber Kika, Nina Dangourian, and Esmeralda Huerta For Dr. Mills’ Psyc 310 class, Fall 2008

2. Introduction: Kissing between sexual and/or romantic partners occurs in over 90 percent of human cultures. • Kissing was examined as a mate assessment device, a means of promoting bonds, and inducing sexual arousal and receptivity in the context of both short-term and long-term mating relationships. • - Mate assessment through smell, and taste. • - Promoting, maintaining, and assessing bonds through kissing. • - Kissing as an activity that increases sexual arousal and receptivity and a strategy to gain sexual access to females. • Students were asked questions measuring kissing preferences, attitudes, styles, and behaviors. • 1,041 undergraduate college students completed one of three questionnaires. Hughes, S.M., Harrison, M.A., and Gallup, G.G. (2007). Sex differences in romantic kissing among college students: An evolutionary perspective. Evolutionary Psychology. 5, 612-631.

3. Methods: • A series of three questionnaires administered to college students. • Study attempts to assess the adaptive significance of kissing behavior. • Study 1: Respondents asked to rate: • - The importance of a person’s breath when deciding whether to kiss someone or continue kissing someone. • - Whether or not they would have sex with someone without kissing. • - How likely kissing would lead to sex. • - Importance of kissing before, during, and after sex. • - How “wet” they preferred their kisses. • Study 2: An elaboration and partial replication of Study 1. • Study 3: Examined the perceived importance of kissing practices, attitudes toward kissing, and an assessment of kissing partners. Hughes, S.M., Harrison, M.A., and Gallup, G.G. (2007). Sex differences in romantic kissing among college students: An evolutionary perspective. Evolutionary Psychology. 5, 612-631.

4. Results: • Females rated a person’s breath and taste of someone’s mouth as more important when deciding to kiss or continue kissing someone than males. • Females valued kissing more than males at the beginning and further into the relationship. • Females rated the appearance of healthy teeth as being more important than males, whereas males placed more importance on facial and body attractiveness. • One in seven females would consider having sex with someone without kissing them first whereas more than half of males would. • Males are more likely to have sex with a person who is a bad kisser than females. • Females felt that just because someone was a good kisser would not be a reason to start a relationship. • Females valued kissing before, during, and after sex more than males reported. • Females show more jealousy when their partner kissed another person using tongue because kissing with tongue contact is considered to induce bonding and sexual arousal. • Females are less likely to kiss someone they knew only wanted to have sex. Hughes, S.M., Harrison, M.A., and Gallup, G.G. (2007). Sex differences in romantic kissing among college students: An evolutionary perspective. Evolutionary Psychology. 5, 612-631.

5. Hughes, S.M., Harrison, M.A., and Gallup, G.G. (2007). Sex differences in romantic kissing among college students: An evolutionary perspective. Evolutionary Psychology. 5, 612-631.

6. Hughes, S.M., Harrison, M.A., and Gallup, G.G. (2007). Sex differences in romantic kissing among college students: An evolutionary perspective. Evolutionary Psychology. 5, 612-631.

8. Hughes, S.M., Harrison, M.A., and Gallup, G.G. (2007). Sex differences in romantic kissing among college students: An evolutionary perspective. Evolutionary Psychology. 5, 612-631.

9. Critical Review: • Liked: • The background information on kissing across cultures and in some non-human animals. • They used three different types of questionnaires that allowed for elaborations on previous questions and more specific information. • The explanation of how the results were calculated taking all factors into consideration. • Disliked: • The study excluded homosexual and bisexual participants. • The study was based on college students and did not take into consideration the views of older adults who are married and/or have children. • Some questions based on hypothetical situations and do not necessarily reflect actual responses. Hughes, S.M., Harrison, M.A., and Gallup, G.G. (2007). Sex differences in romantic kissing among college students: An evolutionary perspective. Evolutionary Psychology. 5, 612-631.

10. Test Questions: 1.Which of the following were respondents NOT asked to rate: a) How likely kissing would lead to sex. b) The importance of a person’s teeth. c) How “wet” they preferred their kisses. d) Whether or not they would have sex with a person without kissing. 2.Results showed that females: a) Are more likely to have sex with a bad kisser than males. b) One in eight females would consider having sex with someone without kissing them first. c) Rated the taste of someone’s mouth or smell of someone’s breath as important. d) Place more importance on body build than kissing ability. 3.Kissing was examined in this study as: a) Determining a person’s fertility. b) Inducing sexual receptivity. c) A means of maintaining bonds in a relationship. d) Assessing a mate’s reproductive value. 4.T/F: Kissing between sexual and/or romantic partners occurs in over 80 percent of human cultures. 5.T/F: Females believe that if someone is a good kisser, it is a good enough reason to start a relationship with them. 6.T/F: Females are less likely to kiss someone they knew only want sex. Answer Key: 1.B 2.C 3.B 4.F 5.F 6.T Hughes, S.M., Harrison, M.A., and Gallup, G.G. (2007). Sex differences in romantic kissing among college students: An evolutionary perspective. Evolutionary Psychology. 5, 612-631.