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

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  • Volpp, Kevin G.
  • Loewenstein, George

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Volpp, Kevin G. & Loewenstein, George, 2020. "What is a habit? Diverse mechanisms that can produce sustained behavior change," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 161(S), pages 36-38.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jobhdp:v:161:y:2020:i:s:p:36-38
    DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2020.10.002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Heather Royer & Mark Stehr & Justin Sydnor, 2015. "Incentives, Commitments, and Habit Formation in Exercise: Evidence from a Field Experiment with Workers at a Fortune-500 Company," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 7(3), pages 51-84, July.
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    4. Thompson, Peter, 2010. "Learning by Doing," Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, in: Bronwyn H. Hall & Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 0, pages 429-476, Elsevier.
    5. Samuelson, William & Zeckhauser, Richard, 1988. "Status Quo Bias in Decision Making," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 1(1), pages 7-59, March.
    6. Gary Charness & Uri Gneezy, 2009. "Incentives to Exercise," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 77(3), pages 909-931, May.
    7. Loewenstein, George & Price, Joseph & Volpp, Kevin, 2016. "Habit formation in children: Evidence from incentives for healthy eating," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 47-54.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lucia A Reisch, 2021. "Shaping healthy and sustainable food systems with behavioural food policy [The impacts of dietary change on greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water use, and health: a systematic review]," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 48(4), pages 665-693.
    2. Anna Petherick & Rafael Goldszmidt & Eduardo B. Andrade & Rodrigo Furst & Thomas Hale & Annalena Pott & Andrew Wood, 2021. "A worldwide assessment of changes in adherence to COVID-19 protective behaviours and hypothesized pandemic fatigue," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 5(9), pages 1145-1160, September.
    3. Gravert, Christina & Olsson Collentine, Linus, 2021. "When nudges aren’t enough: Norms, incentives and habit formation in public transport usage," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 1-14.

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