Fidgeting

Last updated
Barack Obama fidgeting with a Petoskey stone while on a phone call (2012) Barack Obama plays with a Petoskey stone.jpg
Barack Obama fidgeting with a Petoskey stone while on a phone call (2012)
Shaking a pen while thinking is a common way of fidgeting. Working out the financial skills 150723-M-TH981-008.jpg
Shaking a pen while thinking is a common way of fidgeting.

Fidgeting is the act of moving about restlessly in a way that is not (socially recognized as) essential to ongoing tasks or events. [1] [2] Fidgeting may involve playing with one's fingers, [3] hair, or personal objects (e.g. glasses, pens or items of clothing). In this sense, it may be considered twiddling or fiddling. Fidgeting is commonly used as a label for unexplained or subconscious activities and postural movements that people perform while seated or standing idle.

Contents

A common act of fidgeting is to bounce one's leg repeatedly. Rings are another common focus of fidgeting; variations include ring spinning, twirling or rolling along a table. Classrooms are sites of fidgeting, and traditionally teachers and students have viewed fidgeting as a sign of diminished attention. [4] [5] Toys have been invented to help with fidgeting. These fidget toys include fidget spinners.

Causes and effects

Fidgeting may be a result of nervousness, frustration, agitation, boredom, ADHD, [6] excitement, or a combination of these. [7] [ better source needed ]

When interested in a task, a seated person will suppress their fidgeting, [8] a process described as Non-Instrumental Movement Inhibition (NIMI). Some education researchers consider fidgeting, along with noise-making, as clear signs of inattention or low lecture quality, [9] although educators point out that active engagement can take place without constantly directing attention to the instructor (i.e., engagement and attention are related but not equivalent [8] ). Fidgeting is often a subconscious act and is increased during spontaneous mind-wandering. [10] [11] Some researchers have proposed that fidgeting is not only an indicator of diminishing attention, but is also a subconscious attempt to increase arousal in order to improve attention. [12] While inattention is strongly associated with poor learning and poor information recall, research by Dr. Karen Pine and colleagues found that children that are allowed to fidget with their hands performed better in memory and learning tests. [13] A 2014 study also found that children with ADHD performed better on some cognitive tasks when they are engaged in "more intense [spontaneous] physical activity", although no such correlation was seen in children without ADHD. [14]

Fidgeting is considered a nervous habit, though it does have some underlying benefits. People who fidget regularly tend to weigh less than people who do not fidget because they burn more calories than those who remain still. The energy expenditure associated with fidgeting is called non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). [15] It has been reported that while individuals vary in how much they fidget, the act of fidgeting burns on average about 350 extra calories per day, which could add up to about 10 to 30 pounds (4–13 kg) a year. [16]

Fidgeting may be a result of genetics [17] [18] and some are born with a propensity to be fidgety. [15] Fidgeting can also be a medical sign, as seen in hyperthyroidism. [19] Hyperthyroid patients may be restless, become agitated easily, display fine tremors, and have trouble concentrating. [19]

Fidget toys

There are several devices that aim to aid fidgeting, including fidget cubes, fidget spinners, fidget sticks (kururin), [20] and fidget pens. These "fidget toys" are typically intended to help students with autism or ADHD focus better, [21] [22] and come with a variety of buttons and switches that can be played with by the user. [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

In psychoanalysis and other psychological theories, the unconscious mind is the part of the psyche that is not available to introspection. Although these processes exist beneath the surface of conscious awareness, they are thought to exert an effect on conscious thought processes and behavior. Empirical evidence suggests that unconscious phenomena include repressed feelings and desires, memories, automatic skills, subliminal perceptions, and automatic reactions. The term was coined by the 18th-century German Romantic philosopher Friedrich Schelling and later introduced into English by the poet and essayist Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder</span> Neurodevelopmental disorder

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by executive dysfunction occasioning symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity and emotional dysregulation that are excessive and pervasive, impairing in multiple contexts, and developmentally-inappropriate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mood swing</span> Extreme or rapid change in mood

A mood swing is an extreme or sudden change of mood. Such changes can play a positive or a disruptive part in promoting problem solving and in producing flexible forward planning. When mood swings are severe, they may be categorized as part of a mental illness, such as bipolar disorder, where erratic and disruptive mood swings are a defining feature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daydreaming</span> Aspect of human thought and consciousness

Daydreaming is a stream of consciousness that detaches from current external tasks when one's attention becomes focused on a more personal and internal direction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyperfocus</span> Intense form of mental concentration

Hyperfocus is an intense form of mental concentration or visualization that focuses consciousness on a subject, topic, or task. In some individuals, various subjects or topics may also include daydreams, concepts, fiction, the imagination, and other objects of the mind. Hyperfocus on a certain subject can cause side-tracking away from assigned or important tasks.

Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is the persistence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) into adulthood. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder, meaning impairing symptoms must have been present in childhood, except for when ADHD occurs after traumatic brain injury. Specifically, multiple symptoms must be present before the age of 12, according to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. The cutoff age of 12 is a change from the previous requirement of symptom onset, which was before the age of 7 in the DSM-IV. This was done to add flexibility in the diagnosis of adults. ADHD was previously thought to be a childhood disorder that improved with age, but recent research has disproved this. Approximately two-thirds of childhood cases of ADHD continue into adulthood, with varying degrees of symptom severity that change over time and continue to affect individuals with symptoms ranging from minor inconveniences to impairments in daily functioning.

Inattentional blindness or perceptual blindness occurs when an individual fails to perceive an unexpected stimulus in plain sight, purely as a result of a lack of attention rather than any vision defects or deficits. When it becomes impossible to attend to all the stimuli in a given situation, a temporary "blindness" effect can occur, as individuals fail to see unexpected but often salient objects or stimuli.

Cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS) is a syndrome characterized by developmentally inappropriate, impairing, and persistent levels of decoupled attentional processing from the ongoing external context and resultant hypoactivity. Symptoms often manifest in difficulties with staring, mind blanking, absent-mindedness, mental confusion and maladaptive mind-wandering alongside delayed, sedentary or slow motor movements. To scientists in the field, it has reached the threshold of evidence and recognition as a distinct syndrome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russell Barkley</span> American psychologist and author (born 1949)

Russell Alan BarkleyFAPA is a retired American clinical neuropsychologist who was a clinical professor of psychiatry at the VCU Medical Center until 2022 and president of Division 12 of the American Psychological Association (APA) and of the International Society for Research in Child and Adolescent Psychopathology. Involved in research since 1973 and a licensed psychologist since 1977, he is an expert on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and has devoted much of his scientific career to studying ADHD and related fields like childhood defiance. He proposed the renaming of sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) to cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS).

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder predominantly inattentive, is one of the three presentations of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In 1987–1994, there were no subtypes or presentations and thus it was not distinguished from hyperactive ADHD in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-III-R). In DSM-5, subtypes were discarded and reclassified as presentations of the same disorder that change over time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stimming</span> Repetitive self-stimulatory behaviour common in neurodevelopmental disorders

Self-stimulatory behavior, also known as "stimming" and self-stimulation, is the repetition of physical movements, sounds, words, moving objects, or other behaviors. Such behaviors are found to some degree in all people, especially those with developmental disabilities such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism. People diagnosed with sensory processing disorder are also known to potentially exhibit stimming behaviors.

Mind-wandering is broadly defined as thoughts unrelated to the task at hand. Mind-wandering consists of thoughts that are task-unrelated and stimulus-independent. This can be in the form of three different subtypes: positive constructive daydreaming, guilty fear of failure, and poor attentional control.

Absent-mindedness is a mental state wherein a person is forgetfully inattentive. It is the opposite mental state of mindfulness.

Carelessness refers to the lack of awareness during a behaviour that can result in unintended consequences. The consequences way of carelessness are often undesirable and tend to be mistakes. A lack of concern or an indifference for the consequences of the action due to inattention may partake in the origin of carelessness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attentional control</span> Individuals capacity to choose what they pay attention to and what they ignore

Attentional control, colloquially referred to as concentration, refers to an individual's capacity to choose what they pay attention to and what they ignore. It is also known as endogenous attention or executive attention. In lay terms, attentional control can be described as an individual's ability to concentrate. Primarily mediated by the frontal areas of the brain including the anterior cingulate cortex, attentional control and attentional shifting are thought to be closely related to other executive functions such as working memory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metadoxine</span> Medication used for alcohol intoxication

Metadoxine, also known as pyridoxine-pyrrolidone carboxylate, is a drug used to treat chronic and acute alcohol intoxication. Metadoxine accelerates alcohol clearance from the blood.

The ADHD Rating Scale (ADHD-RS) is a parent-report or teacher-report inventory created by George J. DuPaul, Thomas J. Power, Arthur D. Anastopoulos, and Robert Reid consisting of 18–90 questions regarding a child's behavior over the past 6 months. The ADHD Rating Scale is used to aid in the diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children ranging from ages 5–17.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fidget Cube</span> Toy

The Fidget Cube is a fidget toy designed by Matthew and Mark McLachlan, brothers and co-founders of the US design studio Antsy Labs. It has fidget tools on all sides: a toggle switch, gears, a rolling ball (marble), a joystick, a spinning disk, a worry stone, and five buttons. It may help users with ADHD focus. It can also help children with autism and anxiety calm down or focus.

Non-Instrumental Movement Inhibition (NIMI) is an aspect of body language when a person stops fidgeting because they are interested in what they are watching. For example, when a young child is rapt watching a cartoon, they often sit motionless with their mouth open; this motionlessness is NIMI. As such, it is psychological phenomenon and a form of embodied behavior, where gestures and body movements reflect the thoughts and emotions in a person's mind. This phenomenon is different from almost all other body language because it interprets what does not happen rather than making an interpretation based on a specific gesture. During NIMI, visual engagement or attention leads subconsciously to lower levels of fidgeting .

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fidget toy</span> Object used for fidgeting or stimming with the hands

A fidget toy or fidget is typically a small object used for pleasant but purposeless activity with the hands. Some users believe these toys help them tolerate anxiety, frustration, agitation, boredom, and excitement. They are also commonly used by those with sensory difficulties. Fidget toys have uses in both therapeutic and educational settings, although some controversies about their safety and effectiveness have been brought up over the years.

References

  1. ↑ Mehrabian, Albert; Friedman, Shan L (1986-06-01). "An analysis of fidgeting and associated individual differences". Journal of Personality. 54 (2): 406–429. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.1986.tb00402.x. ISSN   1467-6494.
  2. ↑ "Bad Habits and Fidgeting At School". Pediatrics.about.com. Archived from the original on 2009-04-16. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
  3. ↑ "Finger Tapping example animation".
  4. ↑ Risko, Evan F.; Anderson, Nicola; Sarwal, Amara; Engelhardt, Megan; Kingstone, Alan (2012-03-01). "Everyday Attention: Variation in Mind Wandering and Memory in a Lecture". Applied Cognitive Psychology. 26 (2): 234–242. doi:10.1002/acp.1814. ISSN   1099-0720.
  5. ↑ Ribot, Théodule (1890). The psychology of attention. Chicago, IL: Open Court. ISBN   9780548114025. OCLC   707693480.
  6. ↑ Sachdev, Perminder; Kruk, Jane (1996). "Restlessness: The Anatomy of a Neuropsychiatric Symptom". Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 30 (1): 38–53. doi:10.3109/00048679609076071. ISSN   0004-8674. PMID   8724326. S2CID   28417779.
  7. ↑ Galton, Francis (1885-06-25). "The Measure of Fidget". Nature. 32 (817): 174–175. Bibcode:1885Natur..32..174G. doi: 10.1038/032174b0 .
  8. 1 2 Witchel, Harry J.; Santos, Carlos P.; Ackah, James K.; Westling, Carina E. I.; Chockalingam, Nachiappan (2016). "Non-Instrumental Movement Inhibition (NIMI) Differentially Suppresses Head and Thigh Movements during Screenic Engagement: Dependence on Interaction". Frontiers in Psychology. 7: 157. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00157 . ISSN   1664-1078. PMC   4762992 . PMID   26941666.
  9. ↑ Gligorić, N.; Uzelac, A.; Krco, S. (March 2012). "Smart Classroom: Real-time feedback on lecture quality". 2012 IEEE International Conference on Pervasive Computing and Communications Workshops. pp. 391–394. doi:10.1109/percomw.2012.6197517. ISBN   978-1-4673-0907-3. S2CID   17113618.
  10. ↑ Carriere, Jonathan S. A.; Seli, Paul; Smilek, Daniel (2013). "Wandering in both mind and body: Individual differences in mind wandering and inattention predict fidgeting". Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology. 67 (1): 19–31. doi:10.1037/a0031438. PMID   23458548.
  11. ↑ Seli, Paul; Carriere, Jonathan S. A.; Thomson, David R.; Cheyne, James Allan; Martens, Kaylena A. Ehgoetz; Smilek, Daniel (2014). "Restless mind, restless body". Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. 40 (3): 660–668. doi:10.1037/a0035260. PMID   24364721.
  12. ↑ Farley, James; Risko, Evan; Kingstone, Alan (2013). "Everyday attention and lecture retention: the effects of time, fidgeting, and mind wandering". Frontiers in Psychology. 4: 619. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00619 . ISSN   1664-1078. PMC   3776418 . PMID   24065933.
  13. ↑ "UK | Education | Fidgeting children 'learn more'". BBC News. 2005-04-12. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
  14. ↑ Hartanto, T. A.; Krafft, C. E.; Iosif, A. M.; Schweitzer, J. B. (2016-07-03). "A trial-by-trial analysis reveals more intense physical activity is associated with better cognitive control performance in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder". Child Neuropsychology. 22 (5): 618–626. doi:10.1080/09297049.2015.1044511. ISSN   0929-7049. PMC   4675699 . PMID   26059476.
  15. 1 2 Levine, James A. (2004-05-01). "Nonexercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT): environment and biology". American Journal of Physiology. Endocrinology and Metabolism. 286 (5): E675–E685. doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00562.2003. ISSN   0193-1849. PMID   15102614.
  16. ↑ Stein, Rob (2005-01-28). "Fidgeting Helps Separate the Lean From the Obese, Study Finds". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
  17. ↑ Johannsen, Darcy L; Ravussin, Eric (2008). "Spontaneous physical activity: relationship between fidgeting and body weight control". Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity. 15 (5): 409–415. doi:10.1097/med.0b013e32830b10bb. PMID   18769211. S2CID   5605293.
  18. ↑ Joosen, Annemiek (2005). "Genetic analysis of physical activity in twins". American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 82 (6): 1253–1259. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/82.6.1253 . PMID   16332658.
  19. 1 2 Harris, Philip E.; Bouloux, Pierre-Marc G. (2014). Endocrinology in Clinical Practice (2nd ed.). CRC Press. p. 259. ISBN   9781841849522.
  20. ↑ Jonathan Jamieson (2017-01-24). "Kururin". Archived from the original on 2018-08-20. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  21. ↑ Hallowell, Edward (2016). "Fidgeting — It's Not Just for Kids". ADDitude Magazine .
  22. ↑ Marner, Kay (2011). "What Makes a Good Fidget?". ADDitude Magazine .
  23. ↑ Dormehl, Luke (8 March 2017). "Are fidget toys legitimately good for your brain, or pseudoscientific snake oil?". Digital Trends .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.