psy: Kiss

Evidence: 100 • authority: 72

A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal, or object. The cultural connotations associated with kissing vary significantly between different societies and contexts. Depending on the culture and circumstances, a kiss can express a wide range of emotions, such as love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, sexual arousal, affection, respect, a wish for peace or good luck, as well as numerous other meanings. In some situations, kissing takes on the function of a greeting or a ritual, formal, or symbolic gesture indicating religious devotion, institutional respect, or an act of sacramental nature.

Evidence: 48 • authority: 72

Limerence is the mental state of being madly in love or intensely infatuated when reciprocation of the feeling is uncertain. This state is characterized by intrusive thoughts and idealization of the loved one (also called "crystallization"), typically with a desire for reciprocation to form a relationship. This is accompanied by feelings of ecstasy or despair, depending on whether one's feelings seem to be reciprocated or not. Limerence can be distinguished from other forms of romantic love using the model of obsessive and harmonious romantic passion: limerence is an obsessive passion—defined as entailing a relative lack of control, and preventing full concentration on other activities. Res…

Evidence: 43 • authority: 72

Jane Austen's literary universe includes historical, geographical, and sociological aspects specific to the period and regions of England in which her novels are set. Since the second half of the 20th century, a growing body of research has focused not only on the literary qualities of these novels but also on their historical background, analyzing their economic and ideological aspects and highlighting the relevance of Jane Austen's works in these areas. On the other hand, a veritable cult has gradually grown up around the writer and her work, initially in the English-speaking world, but now spreading beyond it, and popular culture has taken hold of the universe she created. Jane Austen wr…

Evidence: 38 • authority: 88

Love on the Brain: The Impact of Sexual Arousal on Sexual Decision-making. <p>Does sexual arousal predict riskier sexual decision-making? A study by Ariel and Lowenstein (2006) first investigated this relationship and found that sexual arousal significantly increased sexually risky and aggressive behaviour. The primary aim of our study was to replicate the findings of Ariel and Lowenstein (2006) using both male and female participants (N = 91). Our study also investigated the role of trait impulsivity and sexual decision-making, as well as examining the physiological and self-report concordance of arousal. Sexually explicit video clips as well as hypothetical romantic scenarios were used to…

Evidence: 33 • authority: 72

Sexual attitudes and behaviors in ancient Rome are indicated by art, literature, and inscriptions, and to a lesser extent by archaeological remains such as erotic artifacts and architecture. It has sometimes been assumed that "unlimited sexual license" was characteristic of ancient Rome, but sexuality was not excluded as a concern of the mos maiorum, the traditional social norms that affected public, private, and military life. Pudor, "shame, modesty", was a regulating factor in behavior, as were legal strictures on certain sexual transgressions in both the Republican and Imperial periods. The censors—public officials who determined the social rank of individuals—had the power to remove cit…