Behavioral and Social/Cognitive Approaches



Behavioral and Social/Cognitive Approaches

Introduction

Formation of Habits

Habits are behavioral patterns that are performed and followed so frequently that they nearly become involuntary.

Behavior is the way of conducting oneself or anything that a life form does that involves action and response to stimulation. People are often linked and connected to the way they behave or act based on the environmental settings they originate or come from, and they form the habits they develop due to that environment. Our actions are reinforced by negative and positive rewards and punishments (Friedman & Schustack, 2009).  

Individuals pick up habits from parents, siblings, roommates, teachers etc. They may deny having those habits as no one pays much attention to their own habits, and perform these actions subconsciously. Habits can be shaped due to stress or by learning something new, which is generally more common for children who observe and pick up actions.

Discussion

Bad habits are actions that one does repeatedly and habitually that are negative or unhealthy.

One of my bad habits is Nail Biting, which is the biting of the nails itself as well as the cuticles and soft tissue that surrounds the nail. This habit is also clinically known as Onychophagia, a stress relieving habit. I tend to bite my nails during times of stress and excitement, and at times due to boredom and inactivity.

When I was young I was a tense child who was quite often nervous. Some children suck thumbs, some twist and pull hair, some grind teeth, some pick their nose and skin. I bit my nails.

It was a habit I picked up when I started kindergarten, don't know exactly when or from whom but I do remember being the quite one who would sit in a corner, biting nails for comfort.

To this day I bite my nails. I have been told by my friends and family that I do so most commonly when I am nervous, excited or thinking. Most times it is involuntary and I end up doing it subconsciously to calm and soothe myself. Other times I do it when I notice a chipped nail, I start with trying to even it out and end up biting and chewing for a while. I do so because it doesn't just calm me down, but also gives me a sense of familiarity as this has been the only constant thing in my life and I have been doing my whole life, so at new places or during stressful times, this helps (Friedman & Schustack 2009).

However this does have its share of disadvantages like bleeding of the skin around the nails and cuticles which can lead to severe infections. Long-term habit of nail biting can stop the growth of nails or lead to deformed nails, ingrown nails etc. also.

The behavioral personality theory has two major points. Firstly that every individual responds to reinforcements; rewards are for positive reinforcement and punishment for negative reinforcement. And that society plays a key part in how we ...