Why do people kiss? Psychologists Dr. Polly Dalton and Dr. Sandra Murphy of the Royal Holloway University of London have the answer.
In their research published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, the psychologists have found out that people close their eyes when they kiss because the brain cannot handle the high and sometimes complex visual demand and tactile sensation of the activity effectively.
In other words, our brain finds it difficult to process these two things at the same time, although some people like to close their eyes to feel more sensation once the lips - and perhaps the tongue - touch.
"Tactile awareness depends on the level of perceptual load in a concurrent visual task," the researchers said. Thus, the more visual data the brain has to process, the lesser is the awareness to stimuli.
Interestingly, their research did not involve any kind of kissing. Rather, they instructed their subjects to perform a series of visual tasks like letter searches while being exposed to touch stimuli like small vibrations.
Their findings, however, are not limited to kissing.
Its importance is more significant when one thinks about the tactile warning systems in cars, stairs, curb ramps, and pavers that are meant to notify a person if they are about to collide with something. If people are bombarded with complex or too much visual information like when looking at the road when driving, they may be less perceptive of these warnings.
Dalton also pointed out that other studies have shown how high visual data can diminish auditory signals.
"It is important for designers to be aware of these effects, because auditory and tactile alerts are often used in situations of high visual demand," she said.
Kissing seems to be a very interesting subject that this is not the first time it has been studied. It was once argued whether the behavior is learned or instinctive since 10 percent of the population do not kiss, but certain animals display affection almost similar to kissing like rubbing one's noses or exchanging spit. Another theory is that kissing is our way of sniffing out potential partners.
Pucker up!
Photo: Jeremy Arcarola | Flickr
