I've always been bugged by the ending of "Snow White."

Less than 90 seconds after Prince Charming's lips touch hers, she's cheerfully letting him lead her away from her dwarven friends and on to her ever after.

How did she know that this stranger was the prince she was waiting for, let alone her true love? She didn't bother to ask him a single question!

Well, according to a study published in Evolutionary Psychology last month (it's called "Sex Differences in Romantic Kissing Among College Students: An Evolutionary Perspective," by Susan Hughes, Marissa Harrison and Gordon Gallup), you can apparently tell quite a bit from a first kiss.

Saliva, it appears, holds many secrets. But I digress.

The three university researchers surveyed 1,104 college students on their attitudes about kissing and discovered, among other things, that a first kiss can make or break a couple's relationship.

It's true. It has been "proved" that a lousy first smooch can, in fact, negate any prior attraction.

Now, let's all pause for a shudder.

Don't spend too much time dwelling on kisses gone wrong. You might not be overly picky or sorely deficient when it comes to making out. The researchers speculate that a bad kiss might be a way to discourage reproduction in people who are genetically incompatible.

Who knew spastic tongues existed for a reason?

You have to admit, though, most kisses fall somewhere between gross and sublime. Even if not every kiss is mind-blowing, I'd like to think that no one out there is stuck kissing only toads.

So, if the first kiss is used to weed out the partners who just aren't going to work, why keep doing it? (No, I'm not looking for the answer "because it feels good.")

Women, we might be kissing to assess our partners' health and hormonal status, and (guys, close your eyes) level of commitment.

Does anyone need me to spell out why men kiss?

Here's a hint: Don't actually look to see what men get out of kissing, besides arousal, because you might be uncomfortable opening your mouth forever after.

Reading this study made me look at "Snow White" again in a brand new light.

The prince kissed her, but she was unconscious and didn't reciprocate. Still, something must have passed between them because she knew as soon as she opened her eyes that she was looking at her future.

Was it chemicals? Hormones? The taste of commitment? Was it just that he was taller than the guys she was hanging out with?

Maybe she wasn't as naive as I thought, and that first kiss told her everything she needed to know.

Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com. Read her daily blog at blogs.honoluluadvertiser.com.