Lorraine bites her fingernails to the point of bleeding whenever she is out in public because she says it calms her. Lorraine’s habit of harming herself is an example of __________.

A behavior is maladaptive when it causes harm or interferes with a person’s well-being or daily life. Lorraine bites her nails until they bleed, so the behavior is harmful even though she says it calms her. This makes “maladaptive behavior” the best answer; “deviant behavior” more generally refers to behavior that violates social norms.

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