Ticklishness shows universal hotspots across cultures, study finds
In a cross-cultural study of 448 participants from Dutch, Greek, and Chinese backgrounds, researchers mapped ticklish areas and found consistent hotspots (neck, armpits, belly, soles) and that ticklishness is a distinct, evolutionarily preserved sensation (gargalesis) rather than just a by-product of other senses; nearly all participants reported being ticklish and having tickled others.