Explaining compulsive hair-pulling disorder (trichotillomania) through the lens of reinforcement sensitivity theory of personality

Compulsive hair pulling is a serious and debilitating psychological disorder lasting on average 20 years. Using multiple research approaches that included qualitative interviews, psychological measures, systematic literature review and functional brain imaging, a comprehensive picture of how reward and punishment drive the behavior of hair pulling was created. The model of hair pulling disorder developed in this research can guide the application of current treatments and inform the development of new ones. The implications of this research may be relevant to any health condition that features impulsive behaviors that are driven by the experience of reward.