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Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

When it comes to public displays of affection, some people go as far as making out while others only offer up holding hands. Some may even not show interest in canoodling. So, what’s the biggest difference in those people one may ask? Well, a study in The Journal of Sex Research reveals it all.

In the study conducted by University of Kansas researchers,  349 primarily straight college students, ages 17-35, were asked about their engagement in PDA and the reasons behind it. Interestingly enough, most of the students hadn’t participated with a mere 37 percent of men and 32 percent of women sharing that they had made out in public. Nevertheless, the jargon the authors used could explain the response: “Kissing on the mouth, with or without the use of tongues, and fondling breasts and buttocks.”

When it came to those that had engaged in that particular form of PDA, they were quite truthful about their motives. Instead of being fueled by love, lust seemed like the dominating factor. “To enhance their image or status by proving they were capable of making out with a particular person” was the number one reason. Other reasons ranged from the pure thrill of breaking a taboo to showing their love and appreciation for their significant/ partner to the world to simply wanting to make out and happening to be in the open.

The results also showed that “enhancing their image” was gender-dependent, though. Guys wanted to look like studs, with one even mentioning his “bros” and his yearning for them to believe “I myself was a bro” and accept him “into a new state of brodom.” Women, however, were more likely to kiss for men’s entertainment. So much so that seven out of the 13 women who had made out with another woman in public cited ” to provoke jealousy” as the reason. While one wanted to be other women’s object of envy, another shared it was all to make her ex jealous.

Nevertheless, some women revealed that they didn’t engage in public displays of affection for fear of backlash, mainly because they didn’t want to appear “slutty.”

Ladies, what do you think? Do you agree with the studies results?

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