What is a habit? Diverse mechanisms that can produce sustained behavior change

Kevin G. Volpp and George Loewenstein

Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 2020, vol. 161, issue S, 36-38

Abstract: In the literature on behavior change it has commonly been assumed that sustained changes in behavior means that habits have been formed and that sustained behavior change is achieved through the formation of habits. In this paper we argue that habit formation is often confused with a variety of alternative mechanisms through which sustained changes in behavior can be achieved. These include: learning, information acquisition, status quo bias, taste discovery, technology, commitment devices, social influences, and concomitant changes to choice environments. Understanding these mechanisms is important for determining why specific interventions work or don’t work and for aiding in the design of more effective mechanisms for inducing sustained behavior change.

Keywords: Habit formation; Health behaviors; Behavioral economics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jobhdp:v:161:y:2020:i:s:p:36-38

DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2020.10.002

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