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We apologize for being direct, but we would like to inquire about your stance on tickling. Was it merely a means of tormenting your siblings during childhood, or do you still enjoy incorporating it into more mature recreational activities? If that is the case, it is possible that you have knismolagnia, which is also referred to as a tickle fetish. Scientists have recently conducted their inaugural comprehensive study to acquire a thorough understanding of it.
“Prior research on ticklishness has primarily concentrated on the sensory outcomes and lighthearted elements of tickling,” stated Dr. Shimpei Ishiyama, a co-author from the University Medical Center Mainz. “Our study aimed to examine the impact of tickling in a sexual context, marking the first investigation of its kind.”
If we were inclined towards such humor, we would likely make a joke involving a playful physical interaction known as a “slap and tickle.”.
This study is a component of a broader research endeavor investigating the neuroscientific aspects of positive experiences and laughter. In this study, the authors initially contacted several well-known individuals with a strong interest in tickle fetishes on social media platform X. This effort resulted in the participation of five individuals, who expressed their willingness to engage in further activities related to the study. These five individuals, who collectively have a following of 27,956 users, have agreed to distribute a link to a survey in either Japanese or English, depending on the language they typically use for their posts.
During the 108-day duration of the link’s availability, the researchers gathered a total of 719 anonymous responses. These responses included both multiple-choice and free-text answers, which focused on preferences regarding tickling and sexuality. A number of unexpected themes started to become apparent.
“We are questioning previous research findings as the spectrum of experiences that contribute to sexual pleasure is more extensive than previously acknowledged,” Ishiyama clarified.
Several recurring themes emerged regarding the areas of the body that ticklers and ticklees prefer to target, with feet being a prominent choice, as expected. However, there were also some differences depending on the specific type of tickling being discussed.
Contrary to what you learned in school, there are two distinct categories of tickling. Gargalesis refers to a more intense form of tickling that usually elicits a stronger response, while knismesis involves lighter touches to the skin. Knismesis was predominantly experienced in areas such as the ears, neck, and back, while gargalesis was typically more enjoyable in the torso and armpits.
The data also offered insight into the motivations behind individuals’ enjoyment of tickling, revealing that some people derive pleasure from the sensation of submissiveness or from observing the physical reactions of the person being tickled.
Another intriguing discovery that arose was the influence of childhood experiences on the formation of a tickling fetishSeveral participants claimed that their early exposure to cartoon portrayals of tickling sparked their ongoing fascination with tickling in adulthood.s.
There are still many aspects of the relationship between sexual pleasure and tickling that remain unknown. However, the only way to gain further knowledge on this topic is through conducting studies such as the one mentioned.
According to Ishiyama, tickling is a close and personal activity that necessitates a certain degree of trust between individuals. It has the ability to form connections between people and act as a means of channeling sexual energy. Future research should thus examine the mechanisms through which tickling elicits sexual pleasure. The findings of our study have the potential to facilitate future investigations into human sexuality.
The research is published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Psychology.
