Tickling is an act of evoking involuntary laughter by touching a part of the body.
Some parts of the body are more ticklish than the others, the reason for which is still unknown. When used in sexual fetishism, the act of tickling is called as "tickle torture". Research by Dr Sarah-Jayne Blakemore of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience in London found that robotic arms used to tickle people are just as effective as human arms. Men and women are just as "ticklish". But a few studies suggest that, men may be slightly more ticklish than women. Research headed by Dr M Blagrove from the University of Wales in Swansea shows that the normal tickling response may be absent in those with schizophrenia. Tickling was used as a torture by the ancient Romans. The most surprising feature that can be experimented personally is that if one tickles oneself, there is no such stimulation or laughter.