Proclivity for sexual fantasy accounts for differences in the perceived components of a ‘good kiss’

Romantic kissing is theorized to promote positive psychological outcomes in close relationships, potentially serving as a mate assessment tool and a mechanism for relationship maintenance. However, to date no empirical evidence supports the hypothesis that romantic kissing acts as a catalyst for sexual intercourse (the arousal hypothesis). However, lack of support for this hypothesis may be due to a focus on the sensation of a kiss when it was conceptualised. As such, past tests of this hypothesis have underplayed the role of mental states that are a prerequisite for sexual arousal. Addressing this gap, this study investigated whether intimate fantasies predict the perceived importance of arousal when defining the qualities of a “good kiss.” As predicted, daytime fantasy proneness was correlated with the importance of arousal in a good kiss, independent of general creative thinking and sexual desire. By linking cognition to expressions of emotional intimacy, these findings advance our understanding of romantic rituals and highlight pathways for refining couples’ therapy interventions.

Lay Summary
Kissing is a symbolic gesture important for romantic relationship quality. Although no evidence to date supports its role as a catalyst for sexual intercourse, this may be because prior researchers have focused on the sensation of kissing rather than the accompanying mental states that boost arousal while kissing. Our research addresses this, identifying sexual fantasy as an important component in how people perceive a kiss. This helps to establish a pathway that may be important for therapeutic interventions in couples (to improve relationship quality through intimate gestures).