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Jaswal, Sumeet

University of British Columbia

My thesis focuses on misokinesia, a psychological phenomenon characterized by negative emotional responses to repetitive movements made by others, such as fidgeting. Although anecdotal evidence has suggested that it has a significant impact on daily life, scientific research on misokinesia is scarce. To address this gap, I conducted a comprehensive investigation using various methodologies to understand misokinesia better, and revealed two key points from my research. First, approximately two-thirds of general population sample experiences some level of misokinesia sensitivity, which challenges the notion that it is confined to clinical populations. Second, I explored misokinesia's effects on attention and emotional responsivity. Behavioural and neuroimaging experiments found no significant association between misokinesia and reflexive visuospatial attention, memory recall for fidgeting stimuli, or emotional reactivity to visual-social stimuli. However, semi-structured interviews provided subjective insight into the personal experiences and social challenges associated with misokinesia. These qualitative findings suggest that misokinesia may be linked to challenges in disengaging from stimuli rather than initial engagement. By enhancing our understanding of misokinesia, interventions can be developed to support affected individuals and positively impact their daily lives by fostering empathy in those who do not experience misokinesia towards those who do.

Text

2024-08-15

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/88951

Psychology

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/