Nailbiting—A review

Fingernail Biting

“…MassIer and Malone (1950) stressed that education of the nailbiter's parents is a critical factor in the treatment of nailbiting, since parents should be made aware that "all punitive measures, intentional or otherwise, are to be condemned" (p. 529). Coleman and McCalley (1948a) summarized the views held by a number of researchers, including Wechsler (1931) and Bevans (1945), with respect to the treatment of nailbiting by negative methods:…”

“…In commenting on the consensus of evidence concerning the relation of nailbiting to tense emotional situations, Mass-Ier and Malone (1950) stated that the adage that persons under tension 'bite their nails' seems to be true" (p. 526). In commenting on the consensus of evidence concerning the relation of nailbiting to tense emotional situations, Mass-Ier and Malone (1950) stated that the adage that persons under tension 'bite their nails' seems to be true" (p. 526).…”

“…Although MassIer and Malone (1950) referred to nailbiting among grade-school children as being normal, they stressed that the "unavoidable tensions of the average home and school environments" (p. 527) should be recognized and evaluated. This relates directly to their belief that "nailbiting is evidence of internal tensions" (MassIer and Malone,p.…”

“…[Coleman and McCalley, 1948b, p. 431] MassIer and Malone (1950) also noted that it is likely that many individuals give up severe nailbiting after the age of 15 and then assume what Billig (1946, p. 42) termed an "equivalent mannerism:" Nailbiting originates as a transfer from thumb-sucking some time between 4 and 6 years of age when social (parental) censure demands that sucking habits be discontinued. This is puzzling in view of the fact that the samples never used the identical subjects more than once, and hence individual consistency would appear to be a rather meaningless concept.…”

“…MassIer and Malone (1950) described what they called" 'Reminding' Methods of Treatment" (p. 528) for the management of nailbiting. Their approach was basically a sympathetic, nonpunitive one:…”