Compulsions refer to repetitive behaviors, such as hand washing, checking, counting or mental acts that a person feels he/she must perform; intended to prevent or reduce anxiety or distress, but not to provide the affected person with pleasure. Compulsions are repetitive ritualized actions that serve as mechanisms for controlling anxiety and are performed to extinguish obsessional thoughts. .
Other /More definition:
compulsions refers to the ability to adapt to one’s environment. Children’s competence involves their performance relative to their same-age peers as well as their individual course of development.