Behaviour Always has a Purpose.
Behaviour always has a purpose.
There is always a reason as to why a behaviour is occurring. This is referred to as the function of the behaviour. Every behaviour has a specific function that maintains the behaviour, regardless of whether the effects of the behaviour are positive, neutral, or negative. This includes self-sabotage, self-destructive, and impulsive behaviours, and it can be hard to make sense of these patterns or understand their purpose. Every behaviour provides a consequence or reinforcement for the behavior in question.
The question of what causes self-destructive behavior is extremely complex because of the many different presentations of self-destructive behaviours and the experiences of each individual. Self-destructive behaviours can extend to every facet of life; relationships, both romantic and plutonic, professional, food, finances etc. People who engage in self-destructive behaviors can even be somewhat aware of their own destructive tendencies, but often demonstrate less understanding of why they engage in these patterns.
They may very well know the solution and make every excuse, find every reason, to avoid stopping or changing. In fact, most of us have at least one self-destructive behaviour that we engage in, whether that relates to finances, food, relationships etc. Not all self-destructive behaviours are destructive in a massive way. Self-destructive behaviours can be minor or major. Some patterns of behaviour cause only minor day-to-day stress while other patterns can lead to much more upset and chaos. Sometimes the solution seems simple: stop doing the things that hurt us. But if we don’t know why we engage in these patterns of behaviour, they are very difficult to stop. It is not simply an issue of being “stronger” than the behaviour. Developing understanding of the function of behaviour can help us change the behaviour that is no longer serving us.
Applied Behaviour Analysis is a research-based approach to modifying behaviour. Using ABA, we seek to understand to the function of an inappropriate or harmful behaviour in order to find a replacement behaviour to substitute it. Basically, ABA is asking “why?” and in order to answer that, we need to identify and understand the functions of behaviour.
There are 6 functions of behaviour:
1. Escape: a person engages in a behaviour to end or avoid something they do not like. Example: taking a different route home to avoid traffic, not calling someone they don’t want to talk to.
2. Attention: a person engages in a behaviour to receive attention. Example: name-calling to get someone’s attention.
3. Tangible: a person engages in a behaviour to get access to an item or activity. Example: opening the fridge to get a snack. Hitting a sibling to get their toy.
4. Self-Stimulation/Sensory: a person engages in a behaviour because it physically feels good or relieves something that feels bad. Example: playing with their hair (self-soothing) or scratching a mosquito bite.
5. To communicate: a person engages in behaviour to express themselves. Example: a person uses words or body language to communicate a mood, feeling, or need.
Control or power: a person engages in behaviour when they feel powerless or threatened. Example: creating power imbalances to create control.
When we are able to successfully identify the function of behaviour we can reinforce an alternate, more appropriate behavior that will replace it. When someone has a particular need or function met by a more appropriate means, the harmful or self-destructive behavior is less likely to be reinforced. For example, if someone needs attention, and we give them attention in response to an inappropriate or self-destructive pattern, that self-destructive pattern becomes reinforced.
But instead, if someone needs attention and seeks it through healthy and appropriate means, and we give them attention in response to these behaviours, they will develop that behaviour into a pattern. This cements the learning of the appropriate behavior and reduces the desire to hold onto the inappropriate or unwanted behaviour.
Sometimes a function of behaviour that served a purpose in a specific situation becomes a pattern that develops over time and becomes harmful. It is important to remember that most destructive or harmful patterns were once helpful or useful coping strategies in previous situations.
It is also important to remember that often we avoid things that make us feel badly, even if that comes at a cost. If we are looking at escape as a function of behaviour, we are more likely to understand and empathize with someone instead of assigning labels and criticism. For example, we might avoid a task that makes us feel stupid if we think we can’t complete it successfully, or makes us feel inadequate if we feel we don’t have the skills for it. Using this logic, we can understand that procrastination is less about being lazy as it is about avoiding things that don’t make us feel good. Additionally, we tend to engage in patterns that are familiar. We are drawn to things that are familiar because they are predictable and this brings us comfort, even when the pattern is destructive. That is why we engage in harmful patterns even when we know that they are not helpful to us.
People with good emotional stability and self-awareness do not want to ruin their lives by engaging in self-destructive behaviours. Therefore, if someone you know, or maybe even yourself, is engaging in self-destructive behaviour there a reason for it that we can’t see or understand. It is helpful to remember this when being critical of other people’s patterns of behaviour or even critical of our own patterns of behaviour. If we can frame it this way, we are better able to respond with support and empathy. If you or someone you know is engaging in harmful and self-destructive behaviours, and you can’t seem to figure out why, this can be addressed with a mental health professional, like a clinical counsellor or psychologist.