Operational definition 2

The behaviour being monitored is excessive nail picking and biting, also known as onychophagia. It is a body focused repetitive behaviour whereby one uses their teeth or fingers to bite or pick at their nails and surrounding tissue. It scored when individual is (a) putting fingernails into mouth and bite it with teeth and either (b) bite the surrounding tissues, or (c) peeling the fingernail or surrounding tissues. For example, when a person is bored while listening to a lecture and automatically paying attention to the nails and ripping off the nail which is a typical onychophagia. Additionally, there are two questionable instances, the first one that is scored is when the side of the skin next to the fingernail is ripped or bitten off. And another questionable instance that is not scored is if the nail is accidentally split and the participant chops of the broken part of the nail to avoid further damage.