Why do people laugh when they are tickled? Laughter during tickling does not always mean pleasure and can act as a protective reaction to an unpleasant effect, says psychologist Marina Murabiova. According to the expert, a person may perceive the tickling as an invasion of personal boundaries, especially if he is unable to stop what is happening. However, the nature of such a response has not yet been fully explored. In the Netherlands, a special laboratory was opened to investigate the phenomenon, where volunteers tickle a robot named Hector. It has already been proven that the reaction to tickling is not related to jealousy nor to problems with the nervous system.

Why do people laugh when they are tickled? Laughter during tickling does not always mean pleasure and can act as a protective reaction to an unpleasant effect, says psychologist Marina Murabiova. According to the expert, a person may perceive the tickling as an invasion of personal boundaries, especially if he is unable to stop what is happening. However, the nature of such a response has not yet been fully explored. In the Netherlands, a special laboratory was opened to investigate the phenomenon, where volunteers tickle a robot named Hector. It has already been proven that the reaction to tickling is not related to jealousy nor to problems with the nervous system.