Habits, Goals, and Effective Behavior Change

Abstract

Why do we act on habit even when we intend to do something else? The answer lies in habit memories, or context-response associations, that form when people repeat rewarding actions in stable contexts. Although habits can form as people pursue goals, once habits develop, the perception of the context directly activates the response in mind. Because habit activation does not depend strongly on motivation, changing intentions has limited impact on habit memory. Instead, successful habit-change interventions directly impact the behavior itself: Along with classic behavior therapy interventions, habits change with (a) reward systems that form new habits, (b) disruption of context cues to forestall activation of the habit in mind, and (c) friction that makes the habitual response difficult and alternatives easier. Despite the strong evidence that habits are activated by contexts, people tend to believe that their own habits are a product of goal pursuit. This subjective reality might also explain why some researchers continue to maintain that habit performance depends on goals.