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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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    6. 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.
    7. Shaun Larcom & Ferdinand Rauch & Tim Willems, 2017. "The Benefits of Forced Experimentation: Striking Evidence from the London Underground Network," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 132(4), pages 2019-2055.
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    2. Cheng-Wen Lee & Hsiu-Hua Hung, 2024. "The Impact of Education on Consumers’ Eco-Friendly Shopping Habits towards Sustainable Purchases: Evidence from Indonesia and Taiwan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-30, October.
    3. Ferreira, Claudio M. & Vieites, Yan & Goldszmidt, Rafael & Barros, Lucia S.G. & Andrade, Eduardo B., 2024. "Short- and long-term effects of incentives on prosocial behavior: The case of ride vouchers to a blood collection agency," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 352(C).
    4. 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.
    5. 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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