Defining Habit in Psychology

Abstract

We review definitions of habit and evaluate how well current measures capture these definitions. Habits are context-behavior associations in memory that develop as people repeatedly experience rewards for a given action in a given context. Habitual behavior is cued directly by context and does not require supporting goals and conscious intentions. As we explain, goals are important to initiate behavior repetition and to inhibit unwanted habit performance, and in addition can be inferred from habits. To date, research has relied on self-report methods to measure habit. These measures, by themselves, may fall short of adequately testing key features of habit, such as context dependence, or dissociating habitual and non-habitual influences on behavior. By augmenting self-reports with implicit, behavioral, and ecological momentary assessment methods, researchers can gain a more complete understanding of habits and their role in shaping behavior.

Habitual Behavior Is Goal-Driven

“…For instance, one may form the habit of taking vitamins on the basis of a trusted physician’s assertion that they are good for one’s health, one’s habit of a daily prayer may be traced to a singular pronouncement of one’s revered cleric, and so forth. Consistent with the view that habits can be formed in different ways is De Houwer’s (2019) suggestion to remove repetition from the definition of habits (e.g., by Gardner, de Bruijn, & Lally, 2011; Mazar & Wood, 2018; Wood & Neal, 2007; Wood & Runger, 2016).…”

“…In like manner, Wood (2017) views habits as “implicit associations between contexts and responses that develop through repeated reward learning” (p. 1; see also Wood & Runger, 2016). By way of a summary, Mazar and Wood (2018) note that “most modern research begins with a conceptual definition of habits as cue–response associations in memory that are acquired slowly through repetition of an action in a stable circumstance” (p. 13; Gardner, 2015; Orbell & Verplanken, 2010; Wood & Runger, 2016).…”

“…This seemingly noncontroversial view has nonetheless been questioned by psychological scientists who have argued instead that goal-driven and habitual behaviors are distinct albeit related (e.g., Gardner, 2009; Ji & Wood, 2007; Mazar & Wood, 2018; Ouellette & Wood, 1998; Verplanken, Aarts, van Knippenberg, & Moonen, 1998; Wood & Neal, 2009; Wood & Runger, 2016; Wood, Quinn, & Kashy, 2002). According to this view, habitual behavior originates from goal pursuit; however, after multiple repetitions, it becomes disconnected from its goal.…”

Subjectivities in Software Development from an STS and Social Institution Perspective, a Riot Games Case Study

“…They can assist in the maintenance and development of these systems through implicit and collective actions to reproduce them [25], e.g., lobby. Behaviors repeated regularly and occurred subconsciously defines a habit [31], as institutional actors necessarily act in large part based on habit, many of their actions unintentionally contribute to institutions' reproduction [25], in any social force level shown in Figure 1.…”

Potential for Digital Monitoring to Enhance Wellbeing at Home for People with Mild Dementia and Their Family Carers

“…Smart technologies integrate physical objects, technology, and people, in order to share information [25] and this can be deployed to recognize routines and repeated activities [26,27] of daily living. Monitoring the use of an electrical appliance in the home has the potential to demonstrate that a PwD is well and carrying out usual activities.…”