Here's why watching someone fidget makes you anxious or angry, according to B.C. research
New University of British Columbia research says if you hate seeing people fidget, you may suffer from a psychological condition called “hatred of movements.”
In a news release sent out on Tuesday, UBC researchers say approximately one-third of the population suffers from the phenomenon also known as misokinesia. It is defined by a strong negative reaction to the sight of someone else’s small and repetitive movements. And the sensitivity increases with age.
“Sufferers are negatively impacted emotionally and experience reactions such as anger, anxiety or frustration,” says study co-lead Todd Handy, UBC psychology professor, in the news release. “They can experience reduced enjoyment in social situations, work and learning environments.”
Handy says he was inspired to study the condition after a romantic partner noticed him fidgeting. She admitted that it caused her a lot of stress to see him or anyone fidget.
In the news release, researchers say the study is the first of its kind on the condition.
“It’s quite an interesting topic to study, particularly since we found so many people are impacted,” reports study co-lead UBC psychology PhD student Sumeet Jaswal.
Jaswal says the study consisted of three parts involving 4,100 participants. She says participants were asked to self-report their reaction to seeing people fidget. If there was a reaction, the emotional and social impacts of the phenomenon were then assessed.
Some of those studied reported pursuing fewer social activities because of the condition, added Handy.
Jaswal says moving forward, the researchers want to explore the “mirror neurons” of those impacted.
“These neurons activate when we move but they also activate when we see others move,” added Jaswal. “That’s where the term ‘mirror’ comes from because we mirror the movements of others in our brain.”
She explains the reason 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.
“We are hoping to examine this more closely in our future research as well to see if there’s a genetic component to the sensitivity,” says Jaswal.
The study leads say there is hope for those who are suffering.
“You are not alone. Your challenge is common and it’s real,” says Handy. “Misokinesia is a widely shared phenomenon that no one has ever really talked about. By starting this discussion, there is reason for hope in better understanding and outcomes.”
The study authors created a website for those who want to learn more about misokinesia.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.