Adaptors satisfy some need and usually occur without conscious awareness; they are unintentional movements that usually go unnoticed. Researchers identify three main types of adaptors based on their focus, direction, or target:
Self-adaptors usually satisfy a physical need, generally serving to make you more comfortable; examples include scratching your head to relieve an itch, moistening your lips because they feel dry.
When these adaptors occur in private, they occur in their entirety. But in public, these adaptors usually occur in abbreviated form.
Alter-adaptors are the body movements you make in response to your current interactions. Examples include crossing your arms over your chest when someone unpleasant approaches.
Object-adaptors are movements that involve your manipulation of some object. Frequently observed examples include punching holes in or drawing on a piece of paper. Object-adaptors are usually signs of negative feelings; for example, you emit more adaptors when you feel hostile than when you feel friendly. Further, as anxiety and uneasiness increase, so does the frequency of object-adaptors.