Classification Notice for Phantom Vibration
The phone did not vibrate. The pocket conveyed a vibration that was not there. The phone has been checked. There is nothing on the phone.
CLASSIFICATION NOTICE Subject: Phantom vibration events Category: Perception without cause Frequency: Multiple times per day, not recorded
Description
The phantom vibration is a perception of phone vibration in the absence of phone vibration. It is classified as a sensory artifact produced by the nervous system's training on vibration patterns, which it has learned to anticipate. The trained pattern is so established that it occurs without the stimulus.
This is not a malfunction of the phone. The phone's records are clear. No notification was sent at 2:14pm. No notification was sent at 2:22pm. The vibration motor was not activated at either time.
Classification Criteria
A phantom vibration event meets the following criteria:
- A vibration sensation is perceived.
- The phone is checked.
- No notification is present.
- The phone is returned to its location.
- Steps 1-4 repeat within the same hour.
Distribution
Phantom vibrations are more common during periods when a notification is awaited. The nervous system has learned to monitor for vibration in proportion to the consequence of missing it. When consequence is high, the false positive rate increases.
This is accurate behavior from the nervous system's perspective. The cost of a false positive is checking the phone. The cost of a false negative is a missed notification. The nervous system has calibrated in favor of false positives.
The Outcome
The phone was checked fourteen times today. Seven checks found actual notifications. Seven found phantom ones. The ratio is consistent with moderate expectation levels.
No adjustment is recommended. The phantom vibrations will continue. They will reduce when the anticipated notification arrives. They will increase before the next important message is expected.
The phone is in the pocket. The pocket is waiting.