Misokinesia May Explain Why Other People’s Fidgeting Feels So Annoying

Seeing someone fidget can be distracting, irritating or even unbearable. But what makes it feel that way?

Research published in 2021 suggests that the stress caused by watching other people fidget is a remarkably widespread psychological experience, affecting up to one person in three.

Known as misokinesia - literally, ‘hatred of movements’ - the unusual phenomenon received little scientific attention until relatively recently. It had, however, been recognised alongside the related condition misophonia, in which particular repetitive sounds provoke irritation.

Misokinesia and the irritation caused by fidgeting

Researchers say misokinesia is broadly comparable to misophonia, except that its triggers are usually visual rather than auditory.

Watch the video below for an overview of the research:

"[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," explained a research team led by first author and psychologist Sumeet Jaswal, who was then at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada, in their 2021 study.

"Yet surprisingly, scientific research on the topic is lacking."

To address this gap, Jaswal and colleagues carried out what they described as the "first in-depth scientific exploration" of misokinesia. Their findings suggest that an acute sensitivity to fidgeting is a difficulty faced by many people.

Across several experiments involving more than 4,100 participants, the team examined how common misokinesia was among university students and members of the public. They assessed its effects and investigated possible reasons why these responses arise.

"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.

"These results support the conclusion that misokinesia sensitivity is not a phenomenon restricted to clinical populations, but rather, is a basic and heretofore under-recognized social challenge shared by many in the wider, general population."

How misokinesia affects daily life

The analysis found that misokinesia can sometimes occur alongside the sound sensitivity associated with misophonia, although this is not always the case.

People’s experiences of the phenomenon appear to differ considerably. Some report only a slight sensitivity to fidgeting-related stimuli, whereas others are strongly affected.

"They are negatively impacted emotionally and experience reactions such as anger, anxiety, or frustration as well as reduced enjoyment in social situations, work, and learning environments," said UBC psychologist Todd Handy.

"Some even pursue fewer social activities because of the condition."

Handy’s interest in misokinesia began after a partner told him that he fidgeted and admitted that his fidgeting - and that of anyone else - made her feel stressed.

"As a visual cognitive neuroscientist, this really piqued my interest to find out what is happening in the brain," Handy said.

Why does fidgeting trigger misokinesia?

This raises the obvious question: why do some people find fidgeting so irritating?

In the study, the researchers tested whether misokinesia could stem from heightened visual-attention sensitivity - effectively, an inability to ignore distracting activity in the edge of one’s visual field.

The initial experiments did not provide a clear answer. The team found no strong evidence that automatic visual-attention mechanisms make a substantial contribution to misokinesia sensitivity.

Research into the cognitive origins of misokinesia is therefore still at an early stage, although the scientists identified possible avenues for further investigation.

"One possibility we want to explore is that their 'mirror neurons' are at play," Jaswal said.

"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."

In theory, people prone to misokinesia may unconsciously empathise with the psychological state of people who fidget - though not beneficially.

"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," Jaswal said.

Whether this explanation is correct will require further research. A 2024 follow-up study by Jaswal involving 21 volunteers indicated that the condition may relate to difficulty disengaging from a stimulus, rather than the initial distraction itself.

One conclusion is already clear: the findings indicate that this distinctive phenomenon is far more common than previously recognised.

"To those who are suffering from misokinesia, you are not alone," Handy said. "Your challenge is common and it's real."

The findings were published in Scientific Reports.

An earlier version of this article was published in September 2021.