The experience of tickling and ticklishness is the same across cultures: new research

The Conversation · 🇦🇺 public Australia · Aug 12, 2026 · 812 words · By Anina Rich

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What to know about The experience of tickling and ticklishness is the same across cultures: new research

The article discusses a study by researchers Ziliang Xiong and Konstantina Kilteni published in Nature Human Behaviour regarding the universality of ticklishness across Chinese, Dutch, and Greek cultures. It details the findings that ticklish zones and responses are consistent across these groups and explores various evolutionary and biological theories explaining the phenomenon.

Propaganda risk 0%

Claims checked 15

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center50%

Right50%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

We all know our ticklish spots, and we all know how we respond when these are tickled: helpless laughter, attempts at escape, perhaps screaming and retaliation.

Why it matters

Is this a universal response among humans, or – like some other physical sensations and reactions – does it depend on culture?

Common ground

And for that matter, why do we react this way at all to this particular kind of touch?

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: The experience of tickling and ticklishness is the same across cultures: new research?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Netherlands-based researchers Ziliang Xiong and Konstantina Kilteni surveyed people from different cultures about their experiences of tickling and ticklishness?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/the-experience-of-tickling-and-ticklishness-is-the-s…

analyticsAnalysis

Propaganda Score

confidence: 100%

Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 15 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6

schedule Pending 5

info Single Source 4

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Claim 1: “Netherlands-based researchers Ziliang Xiong and Konstantina Kilteni surveyed people from different cultures about their experiences of tickling and ticklishness.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that Ziliang Xiong and Konstantina Kilteni conducted a cross-cultural survey on tickling and ticklishness.

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web search NEUTRAL — Xiong and Kilteni used the survey responses to make “body maps” of ticklish zones. The places on the body that are most ticklish were consistent across the three cultural groups surveyed. 5 theories o…
https://theconversation.com/the-experience-of-tickling-and-t…

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web search NEUTRAL — They are also ticklish in the same body regions. These are among the findings of a study published recently in Nature Human Behaviour by Ziliang Xiong and Konstantina Kilteni of the Donders Institute …
https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ticklish-cultures-complex.html

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web search NEUTRAL — Kilteni and researcher Ziliang Xiong surveyed around 450 people aged 18 to 30 from the three countries. More than 98% said they had been tickled, while around 96% reported having tickled others. Parti…
https://www.dailysabah.com/life/feature/study-reveals-percep…

info

Claim 2: “Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans are all ticklish.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim that chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans are ticklish appears in one specific web search result describing the study's context, but is not independently corroborated by the other animal-related search results provided.

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web search NEUTRAL — Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans are all ticklish. Even rats show a similar response to a strong tickle – they make a sound very like a giggle. An extremely common experience.
https://d33gy59ovltp76.cloudfront.net/news/the-experience-of…

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web search NEUTRAL — " Gorilla Gang: Discover the Wild World of Gorillas, Chimps, and Orangutans! Discover the intriguing behaviors of orangutans and chimpanzees as they engage in daily activities. Watch as they interact …
https://www.tiktok.com/discover/difference-between-chimpanze…

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web search NEUTRAL — Gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans exhibit distinct social structures that foster their survival in their respective habitats. Gorillas, for instance, live in stable family groups led by a dominant…
https://petnotifications.com/notable-differences-between-gor…

info

Claim 3: “The researchers recruited 149 people who spoke Chinese as their primary language, 150 who spoke Dutch, and 149 who spoke Greek, to fill in an extensive questionnaire about tickling.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While other sources mention the study involved around 450 people from three countries (Chinese, Dutch, Greek), the specific breakdown of 149, 150, and 149 is not explicitly corroborated by the provided evidence snippets. The provided Wikipedia results are irrelevant to the study sample.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Dutch (Endonym: Nederlands [ˈneːdərlɑnts] , Nederlandse taal) is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken by about 25 million people as a first language and 5 million as a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_language

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ouw Peh Tjoa (Chinese: 烏白蛇; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: O͘ Pe̍h Chôa; Hokkien for Black and White Snakes), also known by the Malay-language title Doea Siloeman Oeler Poeti en Item (meaning Two Snakes, One White and O…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouw_Peh_Tjoa

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Second Anglo-Dutch War began on 4 March 1665 and concluded with the signing of the Treaty of Breda on 31 July 1667. It was the second in a series of naval wars fought between England and the Dutch…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Anglo-Dutch_War

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 4: “Xiong and Kilteni focused on the strong laughter-inducing type of tickle called gargalesis. (This is different from the light, feather-like tickle sensation known as knismesis.)”

CORROBORATED

The distinction between gargalesis (laughter-inducing) and knismesis (feather-like) is confirmed by multiple sources, including a Wikipedia entry and scientific reports.

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web search NEUTRAL — Knismesis refers to the light, feather-like type of tickling. This type of tickling generally does not induce laughter and is often accompanied by an itching sensation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knismesis_and_gargalesis

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Xiong and Kilteni focused on the strong laughter-inducing type of tickle called gargalesis. (This is different from the light, feather-like tickle sensation known as knismesis.)
https://theconversation.com/the-experience-of-tickling-and-t…

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web search NEUTRAL — These sensations, termed gargalesis, are difficult to self-induce. The present article focuses on the latter, the gargalesis sensation, which, in contrast to knismesis, remains widely understudied.
https://www.ovid.com/journals/sciad/fulltext/10.1126/sciadv.…

info

Claim 5: “According to the study, more than 98% of people have been tickled at least once, and more than 95% have tickled others.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific percentages (98% and 95/96%) are mentioned in one news source (Daily Sabah). The Wikipedia results provided for this claim are generic definitions of the word 'over' and are irrelevant.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Over may refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — "Over There" is a 1917 war song written by George M. Cohan that was popular with the United States military and the American public during World War I and World War II. Written shortly after the Ameri…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over_There

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Over and Over may refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over_and_Over

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Claim 6: “The authors analysed these self-reports and found that there is no difference across the three cultures in the patterns of people who report being tickled and tickling others.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that the study found no significant cultural differences in the patterns of reporting being tickled or tickling others across the three groups.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A study of Chinese, Dutch and Greek participants found that people are ticklish in remarkably similar body regions across cultures. The armpits, soles of the feet, abdomen and sides of the torso emerg…
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/science-technology/scientists…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — And across Chinese, Dutch and Greek participants, the maps looked remarkably similar. Armpits, feet, the abdomen, neck and sides of the torso repeatedly emerged as tickle hotspots. People across the t…
https://www.zmescience.com/science/anthropology/human-tickle…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — (This is different from the light, feather-like tickle sensation known as knismesis.) The authors analysed these self-reports and found that there is no difference across the three cultures in the pat…
https://d33gy59ovltp76.cloudfront.net/news/the-experience-of…

schedule

Claim 7: “the strongest relationship was between ticklishness and the frequency with which particular body areas are touched – with those less frequently touched being more ticklish.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 8: “People are more likely to be tickled in childhood than adulthood.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 9: “Ticklers are likely to be older than ticklees”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 10: “The ticklishness of an area was not directly related to the density of receptors for touch, skin thickness, vulnerability due to proximity of major arteries, or how pleasurable touch to an area is.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 11: “Even rats show a similar response to a strong tickle – they make a sound very like a giggle.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim about rats making a giggle-like sound when tickled is mentioned in one source but not corroborated by the other search results.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Even rats show a similar response to a strong tickle – they make a sound very like a giggle. An extremely common experience. According to the study, more than 98% of people have been tickled at least …
https://d33gy59ovltp76.cloudfront.net/news/the-experience-of…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Nature sounds, with the soothing sound of a waterfall, forest sounds or birdsong are relaxing to our minds and help us to sleep, study, relaxation or for meditation. We are able to relax with these pe…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOVxHkqkP1o

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — This sound can also be used as a vibration to get water out of speaker or a Bass Test to determine how well your speaker's bass performs. Take caution because this sound is extremely deep and intense.
https://rutube.ru/video/1f1359a69ee6405fbfc22ac5738ef2e9/

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Claim 12: “Nor did they find any differences between cultures in the places that are ticklish on the body.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that ticklish body regions were consistent and strikingly similar across the Chinese, Dutch, and Greek participants.

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web search NEUTRAL — We can use there at the start of a clause as a type of indefinite subject. This means that we can put the actual subject at the end of the clause and so give it emphasis or focus (underlined below): …
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/there

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web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago · Note: Do not confuse there, which has meanings that mostly relate to a literal or abstract location, with the words their and they're. Their has to do with what belongs to or is associate…
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/there

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web search NEUTRAL — Aug 17, 2022 · In this article, we’ll explain the meanings of their, there, and they’re, how to use each word correctly, and provide example sentences for each term. We’ll also give some tips on how t…
https://www.dictionary.com/articles/their-vs-there-vs-theyre

schedule

Claim 13: “We know the sensation of being tickled is primarily experienced when being tickled by another (or indeed by a machine), not when we try to do it ourselves.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 14: “The results, published in Nature Human Behaviour, add to science’s slowly growing picture of this ordinary yet baffling phenomenon.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources confirm the research was published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.

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web search NEUTRAL — About the journal. Publish with us.Xiong and Kilteni show that ticklishness is culturally shared and follows a distinct bodily topography. They evaluate different theories on why some body regions are…
https://www.nature.com/nathumbehav/research-articles?error=c…

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web search NEUTRAL — In their study published in the journal Nature Human Behavior , Xiong and Kilteni tickled 448 adults…just kidding. They studied survey responses from 448 adults.“More research is needed to understand …
https://www.popsci.com/health/researchers-make-a-ticklishnes…

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Claim 15: “the most ticklish areas are the armpits, tummy and the soles of your feet.”

CORROBORATED

Although the specific search for claim 9 returned nothing, the evidence gathered for claim 4 and 5 explicitly lists the armpits, soles of the feet, and abdomen as the main ticklish hotspots.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.