Volume 40, Issue 6
Research Article

How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world

Phillippa Lally

Corresponding Author

University College London, London, UK

Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Research Centre, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.Search for more papers by this author
Henry W. W. Potts

University College London, London, UK

Search for more papers by this author
Jane Wardle

University College London, London, UK

Search for more papers by this author
First published: 16 July 2009
Citations: 542

This research was conducted by Phillippa Lally when she held a Medical Research Council PhD studentship and has been written up during an Economic and Social Research Council postdoctoral fellowship.

Abstract

To investigate the process of habit formation in everyday life, 96 volunteers chose an eating, drinking or activity behaviour to carry out daily in the same context (for example ‘after breakfast’) for 12 weeks. They completed the self‐report habit index (SRHI) each day and recorded whether they carried out the behaviour. The majority (82) of participants provided sufficient data for analysis, and increases in automaticity (calculated with a sub‐set of SRHI items) were examined over the study period. Nonlinear regressions fitted an asymptotic curve to each individual's automaticity scores over the 84 days. The model fitted for 62 individuals, of whom 39 showed a good fit. Performing the behaviour more consistently was associated with better model fit. The time it took participants to reach 95% of their asymptote of automaticity ranged from 18 to 254 days; indicating considerable variation in how long it takes people to reach their limit of automaticity and highlighting that it can take a very long time. Missing one opportunity to perform the behaviour did not materially affect the habit formation process. With repetition of a behaviour in a consistent context, automaticity increases following an asymptotic curve which can be modelled at the individual level. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Number of times cited according to CrossRef: 542

  • , Designing with the Mind in Mind, 10.1016/B978-0-12-818202-4.16001-5, (275), (2021).
  • Right-looking habit and maladaptation of pedestrians in areas with unfamiliar driving rules, Accident Analysis & Prevention, 10.1016/j.aap.2020.105921, 150, (105921), (2021).
  • The Effects of Remote Work on Family Relationships, Future of Work, Work-Family Satisfaction, and Employee Well-Being in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, 10.4018/978-1-7998-3347-5.ch003, (30-52), (2021).
  • Which Mindfulness Meditation Delivery Method Yields the Greatest Benefits?, Advances in Human Error, Reliability, Resilience, and Performance, 10.1007/978-3-030-20037-4_17, (184-195), (2020).
  • Behavioral and Psychological Strategies of Long‐Term Weight Loss Maintainers in a Widely Available Weight Management Program, Obesity, 10.1002/oby.22685, 28, 2, (421-428), (2020).
  • Measuring the strength of voter turnout habits, Electoral Studies, 10.1016/j.electstud.2020.102117, 64, (102117), (2020).
  • Exploring the determinants of usage continuance willingness for location-based apps: A case study of bicycle-based exercise apps, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102097, 55, (102097), (2020).
  • Self-regulation is negatively associated with habit tendencies: A validation of the German Creature of Habit Scale, Personality and Individual Differences, 10.1016/j.paid.2020.110029, 163, (110029), (2020).
  • Recommendations for ‘responsible behaviour’ is not a sufficient policy tool in public health emergencies, Public Health, 10.1016/j.puhe.2020.04.026, 183, (15), (2020).
  • Revealing psychological inertia in mode shift behavior and its quantitative influences on commuting trips, Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 10.1016/j.trf.2020.04.006, 71, (272-287), (2020).
  • The Mediating Role of Reasoned-Action and Automatic Processes from Past-to-Future Behavior, Social Science & Medicine, 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113085, (113085), (2020).
  • Habit in Exercise Behavior, Handbook of Sport Psychology, 10.1002/9781119568124, (986-998), (2020).
  • Creating good habits, Becoming Buoyant, 10.4324/9781003008033, (73-88), (2020).
  • Does habit weaken the relationship between intention and behaviour? Revisiting the habit‐intention interaction hypothesis, Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 10.1111/spc3.12553, 14, 8, (2020).
  • Making Health a Habit, ACSM'S Health & Fitness Journal, 10.1249/FIT.0000000000000579, 24, 4, (43-45), (2020).
  • Habit Interventions, The Handbook of Behavior Change, 10.1017/9781108677318, (599-616), (2020).
  • Protocol for Minute Calisthenics: a randomized controlled study of a daily, habit-based, bodyweight resistance training program, BMC Public Health, 10.1186/s12889-020-09355-4, 20, 1, (2020).
  • Insights into the impact of COVID-19 on household travel and activities in Australia – The early days of easing restrictions, Transport Policy, 10.1016/j.tranpol.2020.08.004, (2020).
  • Dyadic Mirror, Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies, 10.1145/3411815, 4, 3, (1-29), (2020).
  • Automaticity facets applied to screen-time sedentary behaviours and active commuting measured by accelerometers, Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, 10.1080/21642850.2020.1820342, 8, 1, (423-439), (2020).
  • My Cup of Tea: Behaviour Change Intervention to Promote Use of Reusable Hot Drink Cups, Journal of Cleaner Production, 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.124675, (124675), (2020).
  • Exploring maintenance of physical activity behaviour change among people living with and beyond gastrointestinal cancer: a cross-sectional qualitative study and typology, BMJ Open, 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-037136, 10, 10, (e037136), (2020).
  • Measurement Validity for Each Scale of Global Competence for Individual, Comprehensive Global Competence for World-Class Universities in China, 10.1007/978-981-15-1640-5_10, (131-141), (2020).
  • Using the life course approach to explain the onset and continuity of preventive health-care behaviors: A comparative study across four countries, Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science, 10.1080/21639159.2019.1613907, 30, 1, (45-59), (2020).
  • Evaluating the Coaching for Life Skills online training program: A randomised controlled trial, Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 10.1016/j.psychsport.2020.101649, (101649), (2020).
  • Development of a conceptual framework for a group-based format of the Lifestyle-integrated Functional Exercise (gLiFE) programme and its initial feasibility testing, Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 10.1186/s40814-019-0539-x, 6, 1, (2020).
  • From intention to action: Habits, feedback and optimizing energy consumption in South Korea, Energy Research & Social Science, 10.1016/j.erss.2020.101430, 64, (101430), (2020).
  • Using the Idea-Marathon System (IMS) in University Education and Creativity Development, Handbook of Giftedness and Talent Development in the Asia-Pacific, 10.1007/978-981-13-3021-6_52-1, (1-28), (2020).
  • Gedragsverandering, Handboek leefstijlgeneeskunde, 10.1007/978-90-368-2324-1, (271-282), (2020).
  • Choice architecture interventions to change physical activity and sedentary behavior: a systematic review of effects on intention, behavior and health outcomes during and after intervention, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 10.1186/s12966-020-00942-7, 17, 1, (2020).
  • Towards Agent-Based Models of Rumours in Organizations: A Social Practice Theory Approach, Advances in Social Simulation, 10.1007/978-3-030-34127-5_13, (141-153), (2020).
  • Quantifying the Impact of Making and Breaking Interface Habits, International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 10.1016/j.ijhcs.2020.102461, (102461), (2020).
  • IDC theory: habit and the habit loop, Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning, 10.1186/s41039-020-00127-7, 15, 1, (2020).
  • Factors related to positive airway pressure therapy adherence in children with obesity and sleep-disordered breathing, Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 10.5664/jcsm.8336, 16, 5, (733-741), (2020).
  • Habits as adaptations: An experimental study, Games and Economic Behavior, 10.1016/j.geb.2020.04.013, (2020).
  • Les édulcorants de la controverse, médecine/sciences, 10.1051/medsci/2020079, 36, 5, (472-478), (2020).
  • Strategies on specific issues for everyday classroom use, Supporting Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties in School, 10.4324/9780429324345, (83-132), (2020).
  • The future of Telemedicine Cabin? The case of the French students’ acceptability, Futures, 10.1016/j.futures.2020.102595, (2020).
  • Using a Nursing Professional Governance Approach to Improve Nurse Satisfaction and Participation With Health Information Technology, Nurse Leader, 10.1016/j.mnl.2020.03.003, 18, 3, (276-280), (2020).
  • Balancing one's mood: experiences of physical activity in adults with severe obesity 18 months after lifestyle intervention, Zeitschrift für Evidenz, Fortbildung und Qualität im Gesundheitswesen, 10.1016/j.zefq.2020.05.004, (2020).
  • Recommendations for working from home during the pandemic (and beyond), Work, 10.3233/WOR-203187, (1-5), (2020).
  • The impact of markets on moral reasoning: Evidence from an online experiment, Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, 10.1016/j.socec.2020.101577, 87, (101577), (2020).
  • trips4health: Protocol of a single-blinded randomised controlled trial incentivising adults to use public transport for physical activity gain, Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 10.1016/j.conctc.2020.100619, (100619), (2020).
  • “I don’t do it for myself, I do it for them”: A grounded theory study of South Asians’ experiences of making lifestyle change after myocardial infarction, Journal of Clinical Nursing, 10.1111/jocn.15395, 29, 19-20, (3687-3700), (2020).
  • Why do new members stop attending health and fitness venues? The importance of developing frequent and stable attendance behaviour, Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 10.1016/j.psychsport.2020.101771, (101771), (2020).
  • Development and feasibility of a tailored habit-based dietary intervention coupled with natural tooth replacement on the nutritional status of older patients, Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 10.1186/s40814-020-00654-6, 6, 1, (2020).
  • Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles to Teenagers with Mobile Devices: A Case Study in Portugal, Healthcare, 10.3390/healthcare8030315, 8, 3, (315), (2020).
  • Oral hygiene behaviour automaticity: Are toothbrushing and interdental cleaning habitual behaviours?, Journal of Dentistry, 10.1016/j.jdent.2020.103470, 102, (103470), (2020).
  • Executive coaching explained: the beginnings of a contingency approach, Journal of Management Development, 10.1108/JMD-01-2020-0023, 39, 9/10, (1041-1056), (2020).
  • , Smartphones within Psychological Science, 10.1017/9781108671408, (2020).
  • Exkurs: Beidhändig durch die Krise, Beidhändige Führung, 10.1007/978-3-662-61572-0, (185-230), (2020).
  • Institutional and Administrative Controls, Preventing Occupational Exposures to Infectious Disease in Health Care, 10.1007/978-3-030-56039-3, (85-99), (2020).
  • , The Handbook of Behavior Change, 10.1017/9781108677318, (2020).
  • Collaborative model of care between Orthopaedics and allied healthcare professionals in knee osteoarthritis (CONNACT): study protocol for an effectiveness-implementation hybrid randomized control trial, BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 10.1186/s12891-020-03695-3, 21, 1, (2020).
  • Why? What? How? Using an Intervention Mapping approach to develop a personalised intervention to improve adherence to photoprotection in patients with Xeroderma Pigmentosum, Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, 10.1080/21642850.2020.1819287, 8, 1, (475-500), (2020).
  • Feasibility study for supporting medication adherence for adults with cystic fibrosis: mixed-methods process evaluation, BMJ Open, 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-039089, 10, 10, (e039089), (2020).
  • Integrating Social Practice Theory in Agent-Based Models: A Review of Theories and Agents, IEEE Transactions on Computational Social Systems, 10.1109/TCSS.2020.3007930, 7, 5, (1131-1145), (2020).
  • Effects of a six-week mobile app versus paper book intervention on quality of life, symptoms, and self-care in patients with fibromyalgia: a randomized parallel trial, Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy, 10.1016/j.bjpt.2020.10.003, (2020).
  • Development and Usability Evaluation of a Healthy Lifestyle Coaching Chatbot Using a Habit Formation Model, Healthcare Informatics Research, 10.4258/hir.2020.26.4.255, 26, 4, (255-264), (2020).
  • The use of geographical analysis in assessing the impact of patients’ home addresses on their participation in outpatient cardiac rehabilitation: a prospective cohort study, Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 10.1186/s12199-020-00917-x, 25, 1, (2020).
  • Doomsday Scenarios (or the Black Swan Excuse for Unpreparedness), Academy of Management Perspectives, 10.5465/amp.2020.0133, 34, 4, (425-433), (2020).
  • Changing Behavior Through Design: A Lab Fume Hood Closure Experiment, Frontiers in Built Environment, 10.3389/fbuil.2019.00146, 5, (2020).
  • App-Based Habit Building Reduces Motivational Impairments During Studying – An Event Sampling Study, Frontiers in Psychology, 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00167, 11, (2020).
  • Influence of a Planning Intervention on Physical Activity Behavior: the Moderating Role of Intentions and Executive Functions in a Randomized Controlled Trial, International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 10.1007/s12529-020-09864-x, (2020).
  • The Science of Habit and Its Implications for Student Learning and Well-being, Educational Psychology Review, 10.1007/s10648-020-09525-1, (2020).
  • A Marketing Approach to a Psychological Problem: Problematic Smartphone Use on Adolescents, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 10.3390/ijerph17072471, 17, 7, (2471), (2020).
  • Habits and self‐efficacy moderate the effects of intentions and planning on physical activity, British Journal of Health Psychology, 10.1111/bjhp.12452, 0, 0, (2020).
  • An intervention designed to investigate habit formation in a novel health behaviour, Psychology & Health, 10.1080/08870446.2020.1779272, (1-22), (2020).
  • Promoting physical activity as a healthy habit through quality physical education: Does knowledge on habitual behaviours help?, AUC KINANTHROPOLOGICA, 10.14712/23366052.2020.7, 56, 1, (56-61), (2020).
  • Understanding the predictors of medication adherence: applying temporal self-regulation theory, Psychology & Health, 10.1080/08870446.2020.1788715, (1-20), (2020).
  • Consumer perception and experience regarding medicine packaging systems: A survey of medicine dispensing for outpatients, Journal of Generic Medicines: The Business Journal for the Generic Medicines Sector, 10.1177/1741134320941552, (174113432094155), (2020).
  • (How) Does Affect Influence the Formation of Habits in Exercise?, Frontiers in Psychology, 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.578108, 11, (2020).
  • Nature-Based Interventions and Mind–Body Interventions: Saving Public Health Costs Whilst Increasing Life Satisfaction and Happiness, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 10.3390/ijerph17217769, 17, 21, (7769), (2020).
  • Growth in patience in Christian Moral Wisdom and contemporary positive psychology, Journal of Beliefs & Values, 10.1080/13617672.2020.1836897, (1-15), (2020).
  • How to Effectively Encourage Sustainable Food Choices: A Mini-Review of Available Evidence, Frontiers in Psychology, 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.589674, 11, (2020).
  • Modelling Longitudinal Directional Associations Between Self-regulation, Physical Activity, and Habit: Results from a Cross-lagged Panel Model, International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 10.1007/s12529-020-09936-y, (2020).
  • A Mobile Phone App for the Generation and Characterization of Motor Habits, Frontiers in Psychology, 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02850, 10, (2020).
  • Force of Habit: the Role of Routinized, Automatic Behaviors along the Path of Self-Regulation and Alcohol-Related Problems, International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 10.1007/s12529-019-09845-9, (2020).
  • The relationship between interior office space and employee health and well-being – a literature review, Building Research & Information, 10.1080/09613218.2019.1710098, (1-15), (2020).
  • ‘Working Out Dads’ to promote men’s mental and physical health in early fatherhood: A mixed-methods evaluation, Journal of Family Studies, 10.1080/13229400.2020.1729838, (1-22), (2020).
  • Long-term follow-up with a smartphone application improves exercise capacity post cardiac rehabilitation: A randomized controlled trial, European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 10.1177/2047487320905717, (204748732090571), (2020).
  • Positive Psychological Micro-Interventions to Improve the Work–Family Interface: Use Your Resources and Count Your Blessings, Frontiers in Psychology, 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00275, 11, (2020).
  • Understanding Exercise Adherence: The Predictability of Past Experience and Motivational Determinants, Brain Sciences, 10.3390/brainsci10020098, 10, 2, (98), (2020).
  • How to Form Good Habits? A Longitudinal Field Study on the Role of Self-Control in Habit Formation, Frontiers in Psychology, 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00560, 11, (2020).
  • Pilot Site Deployment of an IoT Solution for Older Adults’ Early Behavior Change Detection, Sensors, 10.3390/s20071888, 20, 7, (1888), (2020).
  • Identifying the characteristics of effective teacher professional development: a critical review, School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 10.1080/09243453.2020.1772841, (1-17), (2020).
  • Compliance behaviour change in contact lens wearers: a randomised controlled trial, Eye, 10.1038/s41433-020-1015-9, (2020).
  • Habitual Behavior Is Goal-Driven, Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10.1177/1745691620917676, (174569162091767), (2020).
  • Building a Social Mandate for Climate Action: Lessons from COVID-19, Environmental and Resource Economics, 10.1007/s10640-020-00446-9, (2020).
  • A patient-centredness improvement study for efficacy of behaviour change for healthy lifestyle and weight loss in a student-run free clinic, Family Practice, 10.1093/fampra/cmaa057, (2020).
  • Student engagement: The impact of positive psychology interventions on students, Active Learning in Higher Education, 10.1177/1469787420950589, (146978742095058), (2020).
  • ‘They deserve a treat’: the nature and antecedents of parental licensing surrounding children’s physical activity, Public Health Nutrition, 10.1017/S1368980020002554, (1-11), (2020).
  • COVID-19 Place Confinement, Pro-Social, Pro-environmental Behaviors, and Residents’ Wellbeing: A New Conceptual Framework, Frontiers in Psychology, 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02248, 11, (2020).
  • Evaluation of Food-Intake Behavior in a Healthy Population: Personalized vs. One-Size-Fits-All, Nutrients, 10.3390/nu12092819, 12, 9, (2819), (2020).
  • Design for Long-term Weight Loss Maintenance: Identifying Persuasive Design Principles and Behavior Change Techniques Supporting End-user Values and Needs in eHealth Interventions (Preprint), Journal of Medical Internet Research, 10.2196/22598, (2020).
  • Do face masks help? is not the question, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 10.1073/pnas.2012241117, (202012241), (2020).
  • Motivating Military Trainee Healthy Eating: Insight from Two Sites, Foods, 10.3390/foods9081053, 9, 8, (1053), (2020).
  • Developing inter-collegial friendships to sustain professional wellbeing in the academy, Teachers and Teaching, 10.1080/13540602.2020.1832062, (1-12), (2020).
  • Discovering causality patterns of unsafe behavior leading to fall hazards on construction sites, International Journal of Construction Management, 10.1080/15623599.2020.1839704, (1-11), (2020).
  • A Behavioral Change Intervention System to Support the Hydration Habits of Nurses in Hospital Wards, Sustainability, 10.3390/su12229391, 12, 22, (9391), (2020).
  • See more

The full text of this article hosted at iucr.org is unavailable due to technical difficulties.