Tickling rats for science?

In humans, emotions can bias our thinking and decision-making. For instance, depressed or anxious people tend to be more pessimistic than happier people, expecting bad things to happen and paying more attention to potential threats and punishment.

Animals might show the same biases, but it’s been difficult to test this assumption. How do you know when a lab rat is happy?

One answer: They laugh.

An important finding was that rats housed by themselves sought out tickling by humans more than rats that shared their cages with other rats. Seeking out tickling and responding to it with laughter would seem to reflect a desire for positive social engagement by the rats. If no fellow rats are available to satisfy this desire, a human hand will do.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/09/tickling-rats-for-science/

 

You will be glad to know that scientist went and created a rat that LOVES to be tickled.

I love to be tickled too.  

Good night....... I think....  

Have you ever noticed you can't tickle yourself....I mean without batteries ....

TEOTWAWKI wrote:Have you ever noticed you can't tickle yourself....I mean without batteries ....

I accidently tickled myself a few times. But you are 100% correct!

on edit: I laughed at this out loud and deep down inside you know I want so bad to make a comment about the battery tickling.  

I had a teacher once tell me, "I've never seen someone laugh at their own jokes the way you do. That's an excellent quality."

I'm not so sure it's an "excellent quality", but it's a damn entertaining way to live.

lol