Science Weekend Ticket. We can’t stand people moving around us!

Today we’re talking about a study that shows that we can’t move around. One third of the population will be affected by this disorder.

franceinfo: what a disturbance Mathilde Fontez, you are the editor-in-chief magazine EpsilonAnd Why is that?

Mathilde Fontes: This disorder has a name. its name poor movement In a way, he describes the dislike of movements. It is a psychological phenomenon that is defined by a strong negative emotional response to the sight of repetitive movements. You know that foot that is constantly swinging. This patted hand, which causes us deep discomfort, even anxiety. See what I mean?

Well, this phenomenon had not really been studied until then, and when he noticed that support groups were starting to form on the Internet, a team of Canadian psychologists decided to research the topic. Especially by trying to see if the disorder is as frequent as internet users seem to suggest.

The answer is yes…

definitely yes! A third of us will be so sensitive to his little gestures — there’s also the shaking of a chair — that we won’t be able to completely ignore them. The researchers go further. Their study shows that this phenomenon is not binary: it is progressive. Which means that it is already present in every person, but with more or less intensity. And in 30% of people, it will become a diseased disorder that is difficult to tolerate. To the point of reducing the pleasure you have in social situations, or even preventing you from working…

But where did it come from?

There is no exact answer yet. The study of this disorder is just beginning. But there is still the beginning of the answer. The researchers note the details: Discomfort and anxiety only arise when humans move around us. Repeated movements of something for example, and even of the animal do not provoke a reaction.

This suggests that it is “mirror neurons” that are interfering here: neurons that activate when we move. For example, when we see a person in pain, it is these neurons that cause us to share the pain, tighten the face, and speed up the heart rate.

It could be the same phenomenon here: seeing the other unconsciously agitated, we would be polluted by this movement, which might be associated with anxiety, and would in turn make us anxious. Basically, if we can’t stand others moving around us, it’s out of empathy!