What is a significant risk factor for developing motion sickness?

Sensitivity to conflicting sensory inputs is a significant risk factor for developing motion sickness because it directly relates to how the brain processes sensory information. When individuals are exposed to motion, their inner ear (which helps with balance) sends signals to the brain that may conflict with visual or other sensory signals. For example, if someone is reading a book while traveling in a vehicle, their inner ear senses the motion, but their eyes are focused on a stationary object. This sensory conflict can trigger symptoms of motion sickness, such as nausea and dizziness.

Understanding this relationship helps highlight why some people are more susceptible to motion sickness than others. It emphasizes the complexity of sensory integration and the role it plays in our physical responses to movement. The other options, while they may contribute to the experience of motion sickness in various ways, do not capture this specific mechanism of sensory conflict as effectively as the sensitivity to conflicting sensory inputs.