24 types of dysfunctional behaviors and their characteristics

Behavior, defined by the American Psychiatric Association's dictionary of psychology^[1], consists of objectively observable activities that arise in response to internal or external stimuli. Among them we can also include non-conscious processes and introspectively observable activities.

Sometimes, these responses can unbalance good physical, psychological or social functioning, thus considering them dysfunctional behaviors. These dysfunctional behaviors can be contextualized in some mental disorders as symptoms of these.

In this Psychology-Online article we expose 24 types of dysfunctional behaviors and their characteristics. Keep in mind that some of these behaviors, by themselves, may not necessarily indicate psychological problems. In these cases, it would be some parameters such as duration, frequency or intensity that could make them a pathological problem.

Index

1. Impulsive behavior
2. Pyromanic behavior
3. Kleptomaniac behavior
4. Trichotillomaniac behavior
5. Avoidance behavior
6. Passive behavior
7. Aggressive behavior
8. Disruptive behavior
9. Antisocial behavior
10. Passive-aggressive behavior
11. Autolytic behavior
12. Suicidal behavior
13. Uninhibited behavior
14. Substance addictive behavior
15. Addictive behavior to new technologies
16. Compulsive behavior
17. Hyperactive behavior
18. Underactive behavior
19. Paraphilic behavior
20. Intake of non-nutritious foods
21. Binge eating
22. Purgative behavior
23. Restrictive food intake
24. Inappropriate excretory behavior

It is a type of behavior that lacks foresight, reflection or consideration of the consequences and also involves a risk. The person experiences a lack of control over her own behavior. In this article you will see more about what is impulsivity in psychology.

Within the diagnostic classification of the DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2014) appears a group of disorders related to the destruction of impulse control and behavior. The following three behaviors that we expose (pyromaniac, kleptomaniac and trichotillomaniac) fall within this group and are exposed in this article due to their diagnostic importance.

Pyromania as such constitutes a psychological disorder. Within it, dysfunctional behavior would be found in the arson, which is also done intentionally and deliberately.

It consists of the theft of objects that have no importance in terms of their need or their monetary value, without the person being able to control the impulse of it. Dysfunctional behavior involves the impulsive removal of objects and, together with other diagnostic criteria, constitutes a disorder.

This dysfunctional behavior consists of Recurrent hair pulling. As in the previous ones, this behavior together with other diagnostic criteria can constitute a disorder. In the following article, you will find more information about trichotillomania.

Avoidant behavior consists of avoidance of activities, places, thoughts or any other stimulus related to traumatic events, phobic objects or others that involve significant discomfort. Avoidance contributes to the maintenance of the problem and it is this aspect that would make it a dysfunctional behavior.

For example, the person would carry out itineraries that do not involve passing through the place where they were robbed or would try to think of innocuous matters to distract themselves and not think about relevant matters that could generate discomfort.

Passive behaviors are those in which the person behaves submissively, putting the interests, preferences, desires and rights of others before their own. Lowering your gaze or head would be examples of passive behavior. Think also, as an example, of situations in which a person, despite not wanting to do some activity, does it because of social pressure to please others.

Aggressive behavior is the opposite extreme to passive behavior. The person in this case puts your preferences, interests, wishes and rights above others. Direct attacks can be physical (slapping another person, punching a wall) or verbal (insulting, intimidating or threatening, for example).

It is a term more used in the child population. Disruptive behavior consists of the use of threats and intimidation used to violate social norms. For example, boys or girls who do not obey the teacher, people who constantly seek fights, etc.

This type of behavior is more applicable to the adult population. Antisocial behavior is one that deviates from social norms and violates the rights of others. An example of antisocial behavior would be vandalism.

In this article we explain the antisocial personality disorder.

These are behaviors that, although apparently they do not show aggressive intent, indirectly, they do imply aggression. These behaviors are closely linked to the concept of resistance.

Think, for example, that you ask a coworker for an important favor to complete your work and he, intentionally, does not do it. In this way their behavior will have negative consequences for you.

Autolytic behavior refers to those behaviors that involve physical harm to oneself without necessarily having the intention of ending one's life. An example of this type of behavior can be making cuts with knives or blades on the forearm.

Suicidal behavior is one that is carried out with the aim of ending one's life. As risk factors for the appearance of this behavior we can find hopelessness, impulsiveness, deficits in problem solving, family history or suffering from any mental disorder such as mood disorders, addiction disorder or disorders psychotic.

Uninhibited behavior is the product of a lack or decreased control of one's emotions and / or actions. This type of behavior can be caused by the intake of alcohol or other substances and / or the impairment of executive functions.

To look for examples of this type of behavior, think of people who have ingested a large amount of alcohol and are unable to control what they say or dance in a seemingly uncontrolled.

Addictive behavior involves the development of consumption dependence, in this case, of substances such as tobacco, alcohol or cocaine. Examples of these behaviors are the consumption itself or the search for substances. In this article we talk about the drug addiction, its causes and consequences.

Similarly to the previous one, addictive behavior to new technologies implies constant use of devices such as mobile phones, tablets or computers as a result of a dependency on these. In the following articles you can see more information about the Internet addiction and the mobile phone addiction.

Compulsive behavior is described in DSM-5 as a repetitive behavior or mental act carried out in response to obsessions or rigid rules that the person sets. Examples of compulsions would be to wash your hands constantly, to check many times if the door has been closed.

Its objective is to reduce anxiety or discomfort and / or avoid some dreaded event or situation, even if it really has no effect on said situation.

This type of behavior is characterized by excessive restlessness and motor activity. The clear example of this behavior is found in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Hyperactive people are unable to remain still for long periods of time or do so experiencing discomfort, squirming in their seat, etc.

Unlike in the case of hyperactivity, hypoactivity involves behaviors in which heactivity is slower or deficient than normal. An example can be found in the hypoactive sexual desire disorder in the male in whom the desire for sexual activity, sexual fantasies or thoughts are absent. In depressive disorders we can also find hypoactive or slowed behaviors.

Paraphilic behaviors are those that are carried out with the intention of achieving sexual arousal. For example, observing other couples having sex or showing your genitals to unsuspecting people.

Paraphilic behaviors are pathological when they involve harm or discomfort for the own person and / or for the others. These behaviors, together with other criteria, form the paraphilic disorders included in the DSM-5. In this article we talk about the types of paraphilia.

Pica would be the disorder in which, in addition to other diagnostic criteria, the intake of non-nutritive foods appears as the intake of soil. It is a behavior more typical of the child population. In this article we talk about pica syndrome or allotrophagia.

Binge eating involves eating large amounts of food in a short time (less than expected) in which the person feels a loss of control. This behavior can be found as a symptom in the bulimia nervosa disorder or as a diagnostic category with its own entity.

The purge, which appears in Eating disorder, Consists of the expulsion of food ingested through self-induction of vomiting, use of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas.

Restrictive eating behavior is one in which the person avoid feeding or eating certain foods. An example would be people who, due to the composition of some foods, dispense with them in their diet, assuming a detriment to health.

This behavior, along with other diagnostic criteria, make up the DSM-5 Avoidance / Restriction of Food Intake Disorder.

These are two dysfunctional behaviors that constitute, along with other criteria, disorders of enuresis (urination) and encopresis (defecation). Excretory behavior is dysfunctional when it occurs in inappropriate situations or places regardless of whether the behavior is voluntary or involuntary. This type of behavior is more frequent in children.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Types of dysfunctional behaviors and their characteristics, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.

1. American Psychiatric Association (2020). APA Dictionary of Psychology. Recovered from https://dictionary.apa.org/
2. American Psychiatric Association (2014). DSM-5. Reference guide to the diagnostic criteria of the DSM-5-Breviary. Madrid: Editorial Médica Panamericana.

• Caballo, V.E., Salazar, I.C. And Carrobles, J.A. (2014) Manual of Psychopathology and Psychological Disorders. Madrid. Pyramid.