Can't stand your co-worker tapping fingers repeatedly or someone fiddling with their ring? You may not be alone in harbouring a secret dislike for these repetitive actions as around 1 in 3 people could be affected by this strange psychological phenomenon called Misokinesia .
If you are also among people who feel stressful sensations on seeing others fidget, there is nothing wrong with you as this is a common phenomenon affecting a large number of people. It's quite likely that every third person you know may suffer from it, although in varying degrees. Some may feel it more intensely, while others may also have a mild effect. Let's know more about it.
What is Misokinesia?
Misokinesia or the ‘hatred of movements’ is a real phenomenon. It denotes a strong negative or emotional reaction to the sight of someone repeating a movement. Seeing someone fidget could make some people extremely uncomfortable. So much so that they may walk out of a situation, a room, or a workspace.
Misokinesia sensitivity is however more common than earlier known. While little research has been done so far on it, the focus has shifted to this lesser-known condition, similar to misophonia where people get irritated upon hearing certain repetitive sounds.
"[Misokinesia] is defined as a strong negative affective or emotional response to the sight of someone else's small and repetitive movements , such as seeing someone mindlessly fidgeting with a hand or foot," a team of researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada wrote in a study published in 2021.
The fascinating findings of the study
The researchers found that there are a large number of people who suffer from this heightened sensitivity to fidgeting. They carried out a series of experiments on over 4,100 participants including a cohort of university students and people from the general population, and also explored why these sensations occur.
"We found that approximately one-third self-reported some degree of misokinesia sensitivity to the repetitive, fidgeting behaviors of others as encountered in their daily lives," the researchers explained.
They found that misokinesia sensitivity isn't restricted to clinical populations but rather is a basic and is an under-recognized social challenge shared by many in the wider, general population.
Can a person both have misokinesia and misophonia?The analysis says there may be some people with both misokinesia and misophonia, but it's not always the case.
The sensitivity may differ from people to people
While some people report low sensitivity others can't get highly affected to the extent that they experience reduced enjoyment socially or affected productivity at work.
Uncovering the hidden reasons behind misokinesiaIn the study, researchers conducted tests to explore whether misokinesia might stem from heightened visual-attentional sensitivity, the inability to block out distracting movements in our peripheral vision. However, the results from initial experiments were inconclusive, with no solid evidence to suggest that reflexive visual attentional mechanisms play a significant role in misokinesia sensitivity.
While we are still in the early stages of understanding the cognitive origins of misokinesia, the researchers have identified some potential leads for future exploration.
"One possibility we want to explore is that their ' mirror neurons ' are at play. These neurons activate when we move but they also activate when we see others move… For example, when you see someone get hurt, you may wince as well, as their pain is mirrored in your own brain," said UBC psychologist Todd Handy..
"A reason that people fidget is because they're anxious or nervous so when individuals who suffer from misokinesia see someone fidgeting, they may mirror it and feel anxious or nervous as well," Todd added.
A follow-up study done by Todd and his team in 2024 found the condition may be linked to challenges in disengaging from a stimulus, rather than about the initial distraction.
If you are also among people who feel stressful sensations on seeing others fidget, there is nothing wrong with you as this is a common phenomenon affecting a large number of people. It's quite likely that every third person you know may suffer from it, although in varying degrees. Some may feel it more intensely, while others may also have a mild effect. Let's know more about it.
What is Misokinesia?
Misokinesia or the ‘hatred of movements’ is a real phenomenon. It denotes a strong negative or emotional reaction to the sight of someone repeating a movement. Seeing someone fidget could make some people extremely uncomfortable. So much so that they may walk out of a situation, a room, or a workspace.
Misokinesia sensitivity is however more common than earlier known. While little research has been done so far on it, the focus has shifted to this lesser-known condition, similar to misophonia where people get irritated upon hearing certain repetitive sounds.
"[Misokinesia] is defined as a strong negative affective or emotional response to the sight of someone else's small and repetitive movements , such as seeing someone mindlessly fidgeting with a hand or foot," a team of researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada wrote in a study published in 2021.
The fascinating findings of the study
The researchers found that there are a large number of people who suffer from this heightened sensitivity to fidgeting. They carried out a series of experiments on over 4,100 participants including a cohort of university students and people from the general population, and also explored why these sensations occur.
"We found that approximately one-third self-reported some degree of misokinesia sensitivity to the repetitive, fidgeting behaviors of others as encountered in their daily lives," the researchers explained.
They found that misokinesia sensitivity isn't restricted to clinical populations but rather is a basic and is an under-recognized social challenge shared by many in the wider, general population.
Can a person both have misokinesia and misophonia?The analysis says there may be some people with both misokinesia and misophonia, but it's not always the case.
The sensitivity may differ from people to people
While some people report low sensitivity others can't get highly affected to the extent that they experience reduced enjoyment socially or affected productivity at work.
Uncovering the hidden reasons behind misokinesiaIn the study, researchers conducted tests to explore whether misokinesia might stem from heightened visual-attentional sensitivity, the inability to block out distracting movements in our peripheral vision. However, the results from initial experiments were inconclusive, with no solid evidence to suggest that reflexive visual attentional mechanisms play a significant role in misokinesia sensitivity.
While we are still in the early stages of understanding the cognitive origins of misokinesia, the researchers have identified some potential leads for future exploration.
"One possibility we want to explore is that their ' mirror neurons ' are at play. These neurons activate when we move but they also activate when we see others move… For example, when you see someone get hurt, you may wince as well, as their pain is mirrored in your own brain," said UBC psychologist Todd Handy..
"A reason that people fidget is because they're anxious or nervous so when individuals who suffer from misokinesia see someone fidgeting, they may mirror it and feel anxious or nervous as well," Todd added.
A follow-up study done by Todd and his team in 2024 found the condition may be linked to challenges in disengaging from a stimulus, rather than about the initial distraction.
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