The phenomenology of ritualized and repeated behaviors in nonclinical populations in the United States.

Abstract

The question of whether ritualized and repeated behaviors might be part of a person's "normal" repertoire, providing them with feelings of self-efficacy, is explored in a phenomenological study in which nonclinical subjects who engage in ritualized and repeated behaviors describe their behaviors, and reflect on their feelings before, during, and after engaging in these rituals. Results seem to support the hypothesis that engaging in these behaviors is perceived as reducing feelings of anxiety, fear, and discomfort, and increasing feelings of control and security. Subjects also report that they would feel anxiety and lack of control if confronted with the possibility of interference with rituals. Results contribute to the conceptualization of ritualized and repeated behaviors as coping strategies in an individualized society, which function to alleviate anxiety and promote self-efficacy. It is suggested that this paradigm be used to explore obsessive-compulsive disorder in clinically diagnosed populations of ritualizers, in terms of etiology and for purposes of treatment.