irritationModstrailisser

IrritationModstrailisser, abbreviated IMS, is a theoretical construct used primarily in cognitive behavioural science to describe a specific type of sensory harassment that is induced by electronic media. The term was first introduced in 2014 in a series of conference papers by a group of researchers at the Institute of Digital Media Studies. They defined IMS as a subcategory of digital irritants that exploit repetitive or unpredictable stimuli to provoke mild to moderate annoyance in users. The nomenclature derives from a combination of the words irritation, modular, and trailiser, a nod to earlier studies on modulated auditory distress cues.

In practical applications, IMS is employed as a diagnostic tool in experimental settings to quantify individual susceptibility to electronic noise. The protocol involves presenting subjects with a succession of flickering light patterns, distinct tones, and haptic feedback, each component designed to engage multiple sensory pathways while maintaining a sub-threshold intensity. Response metrics are measured through self‑report scales, heart‑rate variability, and cortical event‑related potentials recorded via EEG.

The concept has attracted both support and criticism. Proponents argue that IMS provides a controlled method for studying the neural correlates of annoyance, which could inform the development of more user‑friendly interfaces. Critics contend that the construct may pathologise normal responses to media bombardment and that the experimental protocols lack ecological validity. Despite these debates, IMS continues to appear in authoritative texts on media psychology and in guidelines for the design of content‑moderation tools in streaming platforms.