Study Finds Compulsive Nature May Drive Self-Destructive Behavior

New Delhi: A new study published in Nature Communications Psychology has found that a person’s compulsive nature may explain why some individuals continue to make self-destructive choices despite knowing the negative consequences.

The research, led by Philip Jean-Richard Dit Bressel, a behavioural neuroscientist and experimental psychologist at The University of New South Wales, suggests that such behaviour is not simply due to random mistakes or occasional lapses in judgment, but may be tied to stable personality traits.

“They're stable traits almost like personality types. This is not to say they're fixed, just that they may require (an) intervention to break,” said Jean-Richard Dit Bressel.

The study involved participants playing an online game in which they had to choose between two planets. One choice led to a spaceship that rewarded them with points, while the other led to a spaceship that subtracted points they had already earned. Based on their decision-making patterns, participants were grouped into three categories: ‘Sensitives’, ‘Unawares’, and ‘Compulsives’.

‘Sensitives’ quickly learned which actions led to punishment and adjusted their behaviour accordingly. ‘Unawares’ initially made poor choices but were able to correct their actions when given clear information. However, the ‘Compulsives’ continued making harmful choices despite receiving explicit instructions about which option was safe.

“We basically told them, ‘this action leads to that negative consequence, and this other one is safe’. Most people who had been making poor choices changed their behaviour immediately. But some didn't,” Jean-Richard Dit Bressel said.

The findings were reinforced by a second experiment involving a more diverse group of 267 individuals from 24 countries. These participants, who came from a variety of backgrounds and age groups, showed similar behavioural patterns. When they were tested again six months later, most participants continued to exhibit the same tendencies.

“That was one of the more striking findings. It suggests these aren't just random mistakes or bad days. They're stable traits almost like personality types. This is not to say they're fixed, just that they may require intervention to break,” he added.

The study highlights how self-sabotaging behaviour does not necessarily stem from a lack of information or understanding, but from a persistent disconnect between action and consequence. The researchers noted that these patterns are similar to those seen in gambling and other compulsive behaviours.

The findings also carry implications for public health campaigns, which often assume people will act rationally when given the right information. “We've shown that standard information campaigns work for most people but not for everyone. For compulsive individuals, we may need a different kind of intervention,” Jean-Richard Dit Bressel said.

(With inputs from PTI)