High School Science Project: Exploring Triggers Beyond Sounds for Misophonia

Project Overview

Misophonia is a condition where certain sounds, like chewing or tapping, cause strong emotional reactions. But could other senses, like sight or touch, also trigger similar reactions? This project investigates whether people with misophonia react to non-sound triggers, such as repetitive movements or certain textures, to better understand the sensory challenges they face.

Project Goals

1. Identify potential triggers beyond sounds for people with misophonia:
   • Investigate whether visual or tactile stimuli can cause discomfort similar to auditory triggers
2. Develop a simple survey to study sensory triggers:
   • Use the survey to compare responses to different types of triggers
3. Raise awareness about the condition:
   • Help others understand how multisensory triggers might impact people with misophonia

Materials

• Survey Form:
  • Questions about reactions to sound, sight, and touch triggers (e.g., repetitive movements, flickering lights, rough textures)
• Visual Stimuli:
  • Videos or images of common triggers, such as someone bouncing their leg or tapping a pen
• Tactile Stimuli:
  • Everyday objects with different textures, like sandpaper or velvet, to see if participants react differently to touch
• Notebook or Computer:
  • For recording participant responses

Steps to Conduct the Project

1. Create a Simple Survey:
   • Ask questions about how much participants are bothered by specific sounds, sights, or textures on a scale of 1 to 10
   • Include open-ended questions, like "Are there other things besides sounds that bother you?"
2. Gather Participants:
   • Ask classmates, family, or friends to participate. Be sure to explain that their answers will remain private and anonymous
3. Test Reactions to Stimuli:
   • Present participants with different sounds, visuals (e.g., someone fidgeting), and textures, asking them to rate how bothersome each is
4. Analyze the Data:
   • Look for patterns in the responses to see if some people report strong reactions to non-sound triggers
5. Draw Conclusions:
   • Summarize the findings and consider why visual or tactile triggers might affect people similarly to sound triggers

Example Survey Questions

• Sound Triggers:
  • On a scale of 1-10, how much does chewing bother you?
  • How often do repetitive sounds, like tapping, make you uncomfortable? (Rarely, Sometimes, Often)
• Visual Triggers:
  • Does seeing someone bounce their leg bother you? (Yes/No)
  • On a scale of 1-10, how distracting are flickering lights to you?
• Tactile Triggers:
  • How much do rough textures like sandpaper bother you? (Not at all, A little, A lot)
  • Are there any other textures you avoid because they feel uncomfortable?

Expected Outcomes

• Participants with sound sensitivity (misophonia traits) may report stronger reactions to visual and tactile triggers compared to others
• Findings could suggest that misophonia affects multiple senses, not just hearing

Why This Matters

Understanding how misophonia might affect multiple senses could help raise awareness about how sensory processing challenges impact daily life. This knowledge might lead to more empathy and better strategies for managing sensory discomfort.