An Electronic Bracelet for Self-Monitoring of Nail Biting in Habit Reversal Procedures

Abstract

Nail biting has been successfully reduced using habit-reversal procedures. Two important components of these procedures are self-monitoring, which includes self-recording using pen and paper, and emitting behavior incompatible with nail biting. In this study, an electronic bracelet was tested as an aid during these components. Three habit-reversal treatments were conducted with undergraduate students. In the first, participants used the bracelet to record nail biting and to record incompatible behavior of pressing a sensor. Nail biting decreased relative to baseline. In the second treatment, preference for a traditional (pen and paper) method or the electronic bracelet was assessed during baseline an intervention conditions but in many cases, participants preferred pen and paper. In the third treatment the bracelet generated a prompt for the occurrence of the incompatible behavior of making a fist. Nail biting was reduced to near-zero levels within 10 days and preference for the bracelet over the paper data collection was observed in all participants.