Why Misokinesia Makes Other People's Fidgeting So Annoying

Seeing someone fidget can be distracting, irritating or even unbearable. But what makes it affect us so strongly?

A study published in 2021 suggests that the stress triggered by watching other people fidget is a remarkably widespread psychological phenomenon, affecting up to one person in three.

Misokinesia: a strong response to fidgeting

Known as misokinesia – meaning 'hatred of movements' – the unusual phenomenon received little scientific attention until relatively recently. It had, however, been recognised in connection with misophonia, a condition in which particular repetitive sounds provoke irritation.

Researchers say misokinesia has some similarities with misophonia, although its triggers tend to be visual rather than auditory.

Watch the video below for a research summary:

"[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 a 2021 study.

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

To expand knowledge of the condition, Jawal and colleagues carried out what they described as the "first in-depth scientific exploration" of misokinesia. Their findings suggest that sensitivity to fidgeting is an issue faced by a substantial proportion of people.

Through several experiments involving more than 4,100 participants, the team examined how common misokinesia was among university students and members of the wider public. They also considered its effects on those affected and investigated possible reasons for the response.

"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 indicates that misokinesia can sometimes occur alongside the sound sensitivity associated with misophonia, although this is not invariably the case.

Its severity appears to differ widely between individuals. Some people describe only a slight response to fidgeting-related stimuli, whereas others are affected intensely.

"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 started investigating misokinesia after a partner told him that he fidgeted, and admitted that his fidgeting – or anyone else's – caused her stress.

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

Why is fidgeting so irritating?

That raises the central question: why do so many of us find fidgeting so annoying?

In their study, the researchers tested whether misokinesia could stem from increased visual-attentional sensitivity – in effect, an inability to filter out distracting activity in the edge of a person's visual field.

Early experimental results did not provide a clear answer. The team found no solid evidence that reflexive visual-attention mechanisms make a substantial contribution to misokinesia sensitivity.

Research into the cognitive origins of misokinesia remains at an early stage, but the researchers have identified hypothetical avenues for future 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."

Following that logic, people prone to misokinesia may be unconsciously empathising with the mental state of those who fidget – and 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.

Only additional research can establish whether this is truly what occurs in misokinesia. A 2024 follow-up study by Jaswal involving 21 volunteers found that the condition may be associated with difficulty disengaging from a stimulus, rather than with the initial distraction itself.

One point is nevertheless clear: these results show that the seemingly unusual phenomenon is far more common than previously realised.

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

The findings were reported in Scientific Reports.

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