Fidgeting was defined as engaging in manipulations of one's ovni body parts or other objects, such actions being penpheral or nonessential to central ongoing events or tasks Two studies employed preliminary fidgeting questionnaires of 70 and 106 items, respectively, tapping a wide range of habitual behaviors Item selection and factor analyses led to the development ofa final, 40-item, individual difference measure of fidgeting tendencv which is balanced for response bias and has an alpha reliability coefficient of 89 Convergent and construct validity were supported by positive correlations between the fidgeting tendency measure and measures of tendencies to engage in extraneous activities (consuming alcoholic dnnks, cigarette smoking, eating, daydreaming, restlessness, insomnia) while preoccupied with certain situations and tasks These findings lmphed that fidgeting is an activity overfiow and that it is more probable when the organism's physical activity is constrained by the central or focal act Fidgeting tendency also correlated positively with binge eating and with physical activity In two additional studies, questionnaire fidgeting tendency scores correlated positively with direct observations of fidgeting bv subjects and vnth peer predictions Personality correlates of fidgeting tendency Vi^ere well defined More fidgety persons were more unpleasant and more arousable (l e , more anxious or hostile) Fidgeting tendency did not correlate significantly with subject sex or with arousal-seeking tendencyThe present study was designed to analyze the expressive or communicative significance of fidgeting and to investigate individual differences in fidgeting so as to clarify further this significance "Fidgeting" was defined as engaging m actions that are penpheral or nonessential to ongoing focal tasks or events When treated as a "state" (l e , transitory behavioral) vanable, fidgeting frequency has been investigated as a function of expenmentally induced emotional states of fnistration, discomfort, or conflict Alternatively, when studied as a "trait" (l e , stable behavioral pattem or personality-related) vanable, fidgeting tendency has been correlated with a vanety of personality measures Requests for reprints should be sent to Albert Mehrabian,
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