Gargalesis and Knismesis: The Science Behind Tickling
5 Articles
5 Articles
Why we get ticklish on our stomachs, under our arms and feet is an unsolved mystery that philosophers and scientists have pondered since ancient times. A new study examines how the feeling and behavior looks in different parts of the world.
There are two main types of tickling recognized by science: knismesis, which is gentle touching, and gargalesis, a more intense pressure that triggers uncontrollable laughter. More details here. Tickling is an evolutionary mechanism of affective interaction and play that strengthens the bond between parents and children from the earliest years of life. The sensation of being ticklish has been studied since the time of Aristotle and Socrates; res…
Falling into laughter, trying to escape and screaming can be universal reactions to the same stimulus: tickles. An article published in August in Nature Human Behaviour identified similarities in the way the 448 interviewees of Chinese, Dutch and Galician origin feel and respond to tickles. Participants from all cultures reported feeling and tickling in the same places of the body, during the same social contexts: especially in childhood, among …
The armpits, stomach and soles of the feet are among the most ticklish areas of the body. A new study shows that the same pattern recurs in young adults from three different cultures – and provides new support for an idea that Charles Darwin launched back in the 19th century. Most people recognize the reaction: a finger to the sole of the foot or the side of the stomach can trigger both laughter and an immediate desire to get away. But why certa…
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