Human Mutual Grooming
A few empirical studies of human social grooming exist. They rely on self-report survey and experimental methodology of adults, living primarily in the U.S. and other Western cultures. People report grooming romantic partners more than grooming people they have other types of relationships with such as family members, friends, and strangers. Grooming is associated with increased relationship satisfaction, trust, and experience of family affection while growing up. People who groom, as opposed to touching each other without grooming, are perceived to be better potential parents, more in love with the person they have groomed and more caring and committed to them. Women, but not men, tend to think people who have groomed one another are romantically involved. People also think that if people who have groomed one another are romantically involved, they are in a long-term relationship rather than one that has just begun. Human mutual grooming plays a role in pair-bonding, however, entire industries may be attributed to human social grooming, including hair care (e.g. beauty salons and barber shops) and personal clothes tailoring. There is also some aspect of social grooming in the medical fields of dentistry, dermatology, and plastic surgery. The exchange of resources is grooming or hygienic services for a fee.
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