Their results are published in journal PNAS this week.
More than 1300 men and women from five countries were asked to colour in areas of the human body that they would allow particular people to touch, from their partner to a stranger and to say for which purposes they would allow touch. The answers were combined to create maps that show how touchable areas of the body are for particular relationships (eg partner, uncle, acquaintance) and also which areas are taboo.