Citation

Walters GD. J. Mind Behav. 1999; 20(1): 57-78.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, Institute of Mind and Behavior)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Borrowing from evolutionary biology, existentialism, developmental psychology, and social learning theory, an integrated model of human behavior is applied to several forms of self-destructive behavior, to include anorexia nervosa, suicide, substance abuse, and pathological gambling. It is argued that self-destructive behavior is a function of how the individual psychologically construes survival and copes with perceptions of isolation and separation from the environment. The paradox of self-destructive behavior in organisms motivated by self-preservation is resolved by taking note of the fact that self-destruction stems from people's efforts to survive psychologically and resolve the subject-object duality, even when this places their physical well-being in jeopardy.

Language: en

Keywords

article; behavior; coping behavior; death; evolution; human; model; social isolation; survival