More Evolution-in' in Action!

A bad first kiss can be a relationship deal breaker, according to an article on a recent study.

In a recently published article, Susan M. Hughes, Marissa A. Harrison, and Gordon G. Gallup, Jr. reveal that many college students have found themselves attracted to someone, only to discover after they kissed them for the first time that they were no longer interested. "In other words," said Gallup, an evolutionary psychologist, "While many forces lead two people to connect romantically, the kiss, particularly the first kiss, can be a deal breaker."

Ain't that the truth! Kiss like a spaniel? Move it along, dude, move it along. Somewhere there's specific research on the complex chemical reactions involved in kissing, which I'd be fascinated to see.

The above quoted paragraph applies to both the men and women in the study. Further down the article, discussing attitudes toward kissing in general of women versus men:

The UAlbany study also found sex differences in the importance and type of kissing. Males tended to kiss as a means to an end -- to gain sexual favors or to reconcile. In contrast, females kiss to establish and monitor the status of their relationship, and to assess and periodically update the level of commitment on the part of a partner.

What's interesting is that after I heard about this study on NPR, I poked around to find an article about it and came up with several. The first one I came upon, from CNN, carries this headline: "Women Judge Men on the First Kiss." The first paragraph begins:

Researchers in the United States say men and women have dramatically different attitudes to the first kiss of a new relationship. The scientists say while men consider the kiss is just a means to an end, for women it is a crucial element in finding a partner.

It's almost like there's this narrative of monogamy-focused women looking to get those naturally wanderin', sex-focused men into relationships. Women as choosers, men as perfomers, all as it ever thus was. Just look at the chimpanzees! Oddness.

I know I'm probably the only one who finds this stuff fascinating, but if you're bored or likewise procrastinating exercising, yard work, or other productive endeavors, there's a good article on these types of gender-based studies and their interpretation by the media here (and she's done a weekly series at her blog as well). Hint: in manner of marketing cosmetics and other products, women as news consumers are sold anxiety.