Loud chewing, flight delays, robocalls... what exactly makes something annoying?
Picture yourself at a crowded airport departure gate. Your flight is 20 minutes late, although the illuminated sign still says On Time.
Annoyance may well be the most widely experienced and least studied of all human emotions. On what do I base that assertion? About a decade ago, fellow journalist Flora Lichtman and I made that claim in a book calledAfter we noted the lack of studies on this topic, did scholars step up to the plate? Did even one university create a Department of Annoyance Science … endow a Distinguished Chair for Continuing Research Into Annoyance … or offer a major in annoying studies? No. Nothing.
Now it could be that you read that last paragraph and said to yourself, Wait a minute—a delayed flight isn’t that annoying. If I have a good book to read, I don’t mind waiting in an airport. That speaks to another key feature of annoyance: It’s “highly context-specific,” says, the American Psychological Association’s chief scientific officer. “There is a lot of variability between individuals and cultures.
Then, cell phone conversations seemed annoying only to the people not on the phone. Today it’s the call recipients that seem to be getting annoyed. I’m not talking about receiving a robocall. I’m talking about the 20-something who recently told me that an unexpected call, even from a close friend, is annoying.
The reason someone with a cloying cologne is annoying may derive from the gag reflex. Likewise our response to a vuvuzela, that deafening plastic horn, may be a vestige of our natural protections from any loud noise.
México Últimas Noticias, México Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
Why do cats purr?Maybe they're trying to communicate with us. Or maybe it's their own way of messing with our heads.
Leer más »
Opinion | Why Biden isn't getting any credit for America's white-hot economy.ryanlccooper: If President Biden wants to turn his approval rating around, he should take a cue from his predecessor.
Leer más »
The new year once started in March—here's whyNamed after Janus, the god of time, transitions, and beginnings, January was an invention of the ancient Romans. Here's the story of the month's wild ride
Leer más »
See Why Designer Chris Bangle Makes An Urgent Case For Re-Inventing DesignTaking the humble teapot as his base, the esteemed car designer who seldom shies away from controversy, makes a compelling case for radically re-inventing design
Leer más »
Why Boughner’s benching of Sharks forwards Meier, Dahlen shouldn’t be a big surpriseBob Boughner: “You’ve got to hold everyone to the same standard and hold everybody accountable.”
Leer más »