When I lived in Michigan, people would say hello without any physical mauling. But when I moved to New York, everyone--and I mean, everyone (bosses, shop owners, guy friends)--did the one cheek kiss.

They have the power to heal boo-boos, and the ability to turn a frown upside down and show someone that they are loved. Kisses are magical to kids. So why is there still so much debate about whether ...

As Valentine’s Day draws near, candy hearts emblazoned with XOXO, as in “hugs and kisses,” remind us that love is in the air. But why XO? Why not AB? Or XY? It turns out that XO, which has been ...

DEAR ABBY: I have a brother-in-law who, when he gives a hello or goodbye hug, wants to give a kiss on the lips. My wife doesn’t want the kiss and turns her head away. He then proceeds to kiss her on ...

It’s high time we put the most enduring myths about human behavior to bed, and see the mind—and the world—as it is. I don’t often write about cultural nonverbals, after all there are so many cultures ...

DEAR ABBY: I have a brother-in-law who, when he gives a hello or goodbye hug, wants to give a kiss on the lips. My wife doesn’t want the kiss and turns her head away. He then proceeds to kiss her on ...

Hot take alert: Kissing is the most intimate thing you and your partner can do. (Like, sorry, but there’s a reason why Julia Roberts refused to kiss the dude in Pretty Woman, mmk?). And yet, somehow, ...