Kiss

A kiss (from Old English cyssan "to kiss", in turn from coss "a kiss", perhaps onomatopoeic) is the touching of the lips to some other thing; usually another person.

Asymmetry in kissing

In order to avoid clashing noses, a couple will often turn their faces

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to one side or another when kissing, so that their heads are at an angle from one another. Often, to make this more comfortable, one person, sitting upright, will support another, perhaps across their lap and in their arms, thus combining hugging and kissing. The person supporting the other is most likely taking the more active role in kissing the other. Writing in Nature, psychologist Oner Güntürkün observed couples kissing in public places such as airports and parks, and showed that the direction of turning is more frequently to the right than the left by a 2:1 ratio. Güntürkün ascribed this asymmetry to a neonatal right side preference.

Related Topics:
Nature - Psychologist - Oner Güntürkün - Airport - Park - Neonatal

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(data from Nature 421, 711 (13 February 2003); doi:10.1038/421711a)

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