Rejoice, Nail Biters Your Little Habit Is Only Proof That You Are Perfect

Mar 04, 2016 by apost team

<h3>Well, we kind of knew all along didn’t we?</h3>

Listen up all you skin pickers, nail biters and hair twirlers: researchers at the University of Montreal have found out that your compulsive body-oriented habits may just be a sign that you are a true perfectionist! The recent study pubslished in March in the latest issue of the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry reveals that such behaviors are most common in those who get bored easily.

"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," explains Kieron O'Connor, Ph.D., lead author of the study, in a press release "They are therefore prone to frustration, impatience, and dissatisfaction when they do not reach their goals. They also experience greater levels of boredom." In conclusion, such compulsive habits "satisfy an urge and deliver some form of reward."

Of the 48 participants of the study, 50% had repetitive habits. The study consisted of a questionnaire regarding their emotions, for example levels of anger or frustration or feelings of shame. Another part of the study was an interview led by a clinical evaluator, in which the participants were confronted with four scenarios that were meant to provoke feelings of stress, boredom, frustration as well as anger. The participants with compulsive behaviors felt more inclined to act on these in scenarios of stress or boredom, rather than when they felt relaxed. Researcher Sarah Roberts explained that “this means that condition is not simply due to ‘nervous’ habits.” There you go! Your “bad” habit isn’t so bad after all. Thanks, science!

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