Where are you ticklish? Researchers map the sensation across cultures
13 Articles
13 Articles
An international study reveals that the “body map of tickle” is practically identical in different cultures and that this behavior has evolutionary roots shared with the great apes
Armpits, feet, belly and neck among the most sensitive areas (ANSA)
Extensive research conducted by international neuroscientists has proven that the sensation of tickling is a universal and independent physiological mechanism. Tests on hundreds of people from different cultures identified the main tickling points in the body, confirming Darwin's century-old theory.
Svenska Dagbladet
The location of ticklish areas on the body seems to be common across cultures. Researchers are now looking for answers to why we are ticklish in that particular place.
Researchers from the Netherlands and Sweden investigated tickling sites and reactions in 448 adults from the three countries. The study confirmed that regardless of culture, specific body parts such as the neck and armpits are commonly ticklish, which is consistent with Charles Darwin's hypothesis that the sensitivity increases with the frequency of contact. Tickling was analyzed as a unique physiological phenomenon.
If tomorrow we had to move and establish personal ties in another country, we would probably experience more cultural shocks because of hugs or caresses than because of tickles. Different forms of social contact have been studied for a long time, but there are still unresolved questions regarding their cultural or evolutionary origin. Specifically, that tactile stimulus that provokes at the same time laughter and an irrepressible desire to flee …
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