Attention, all nail biters, hair twisters, and skin
pickers: Your compulsive body-focused habit may actually be a sign that you're
a perfectionist, according toresearchers at the University of Montreal. Their
new study published in the March issue of the Journal of Behavior Therapy and
Experimental Psychiatry explains that those behaviors can be a result of a side
effect of the trait: being more easily bored.
"We believe that individuals with these repetitive
behaviors may be perfectionistic, meaning that they are unable to relax and to
perform task at a 'normal' pace," lead author Dr. Kieron O'Connor said in
a press release for the study. "They are therefore prone to frustration,
impatience, and dissatisfaction when they do not reach their goals. They also
experience greater levels of boredom." So, acts like picking your nails
"satisfy an urge and deliver some form of reward."
The researchers studied 48 participants, half of whom had
those habits. The subjects were screened with a questionnaire on their emotions
(which included scales on anger, guilt, and irritability) and an interview by a
clinical evaluator. They were then put in four scenarios where boredom,
frustration, stress, or relaxation were provoked to see their reaction. Those
with body-focused habits felt more provoked to do them when feeling stressed or
bored—not relaxed. "This means that condition is not simply due to
'nervous' habits," researcher Sarah Roberts said. And there you have it:
Your quirk became a little better, thanks to science.
Source - Elle.com
Source - Elle.com
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