The Psychology Of Habits

HealthMental HealthLifestyle
Written By Nicole Zintzun

By: Sydney Lee

Our society views the beginning of each year as somewhat of a “clean slate,”an opportunity to reinvent oneself by breaking bad habits and forming healthier ones. While people may initially engage in these endeavors with gusto, these efforts are often short-lived, ending in a reversion to old behaviors, habits, and routines.  The commonality of this situation begs the questions: Why does this phenomenon occur, and, more importantly, how can people form habits that stick? To understand why people struggle to form and maintain new behaviors, one must examine the psychology of habits. 

A habit, as defined by the American Psychological Association, is “a well-learned behavior or automatic sequence of behaviors that is relatively situation specific and over time has become motorically reflexive and independent of motivational or cognitive influence—that is, it is performed with little or no conscious intent.” The key phrase is “little or no conscious intent,” signaling that people can perform other tasks while engaging in these habits. There is a myth that habit formation takes 21 days (3 weeks), but research conducted by Phillippa Lally and her colleagues indicates that behavior automaticity occurs after people repeat the behavior for approximately 66 days (or ~10 weeks). 

The parts of the brain that are responsible for habit formation are the basal ganglia and the prefrontal cortex. The basal ganglia is responsible for voluntary movement, and the prefrontal cortex regulates decision-making, attention, and emotions. In an interview with NPR, Charles Duhigg, the author of The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, explains that habits follow a three-step loop. The first step is a cue, such as a verbal action, a physical action, or a location that signals the brain to initiate the behavior. The second step in the loop is performing the behavior, and the third step is the reward for the completion of the behavior. The reward, which ensures the repetition of the habit, causes the brain to release dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for inducing pleasure. If dopamine is not present, the body craves its release and therefore encourages the repetition of the dopamine-releasing behavior. The repetition of this behavior, coupled with a fixed environment, causes the formation of habits. A variety of other factors, such as time commitment, impacts behavior retention.

In order to alter habitual behavior, it is crucial to understand and identify habit cues. A study conducted by Jennifer Labrecque and her colleagues found that habits are broken when people are removed from the fixed environment in which their behaviors were created and put into a new environment that lacks the cues of their previous environment. For example, someone who lives next to a gym may have developed the habit of working out regularly due to its convenience. If that person moved further away from the gym, they may go less often because the cue of the gym’s proximity and convenience is weakened. 

The depletion of attention, energy, or self-control causes the disruption of habits. Roy Baumeister, a social psychologist and professor at the University of Queensland, likens self-control to a muscle; it must be built and allowed to recover when exerted. For example, someone who journals regularly before bed may exert more self-control than usual during the workday, causing them to forget to journal. Although lapses in routine can potentially initiate the formation of new habits, they are an inherent part of the habit formation process.

A person’s mindset can affect their capacity for habit formation. Often, when people want to make drastic lifestyle changes, they attempt to do so with an all-or-nothing mindset. While it is normal to occasionally encounter lapses in judgment during the formation of new habits, many people see the lapses as setbacks instead of learning moments. Although habit formation is not a linear process, many fail to recognize this and attribute their mistakes to poor character or inability to change, causing discipline to break down. In some cases, altering habitual behavior is more effective when people make and achieve smaller goals that lead to their ultimate goal. According to Albert Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, smaller reinforcements improve self-efficacy (the belief in oneself to perform tasks), and, in turn, encourage more change in the future.

Newfound research surrounding habit formation and termination has implications for businesses and marketing. As Duhigg explains, companies often exploit habit loops in order to convince consumers to buy their products. A study conducted by Labrecque and her colleagues on the consumption of laundry products proved that people were less likely to revert to their old habits if they integrated the new products into their existing habits. This finding is often exploited by marketing managers, who realize that marketing products that can be integrated into existing habits is more effective than expecting consumers to form new habits centered around a product. The arrival of a child is one phenomenon commonly exploited by businesses, as this period greatly alters an individual’s habits and routines. Companies such as Target are then able to aggregate consumer data and curate product lists to promote to new parents. 

All habits have the potential to be broken. The process of obtaining a new habit is time consuming and requires discipline, but it has the potential to lead to a healthier lifestyle. To establish and maintain habits, it is important to have a specific goal, to identify triggers that will initiate the behavior, and to map out the processs. By setting smaller, more attainable goals, (or even asking a friend to help) it is easier to achieve an ultimate goal and stay accountable. It is important to remember that occasional lapses in behavior do not erase progress. Patience and forgiveness are essential for the process, and the hard work will be worthwhile in the end. □

Nicole Zintzun
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