New Study Uncovers How Habits Shape Our Actions More Than We Think
Evolutionary research highlights the benefits of habit formation in humans. Recent findings reveal that the powerful influence of habits on behavior is often underestimated.
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Key Insights
- Evolutionary studies indicate that habit formation provided survival advantages for humans.
- Recent research reveals that the impact of habits on our daily actions is frequently overlooked.
- Once established, habit loops become integral to our identity and behavior.
It’s commonly said that humans are creatures of habit, developing routines and repeating behaviors regardless of their health impact. These habits help us navigate daily life but can also be detrimental and notoriously hard to change once ingrained.
Given their strength, just how much do habits steer our behavior? New research suggests we often undervalue the role habits play.
Exploring the Research
Behavioral science defines a habit as an efficient, automatic, and often unconscious action. The time required to form a habit varies, with some studies suggesting four weeks and others indicating a longer period.
Debra Kawahara, PhD
People usually overestimate their ability to self-regulate and make conscious decisions about their actions.
— Debra Kawahara, PhDA recent study examined how internal states like mood affect behavior by analyzing participant explanations for their actions. In one experiment, participants recalled happy, sad, or neutral memories before performing a task that trained them to press certain computer keys, forming either a strong or weak habit.
After training, participants chose whether to donate more time by pressing a key. Those with strong habit training tended to press the same key, yet when explaining their choice, they attributed it more to their mood than to habit-driven behavior.
In another study, participants tracked their coffee consumption over five days, reporting fatigue and habit strength. Results showed they mistakenly credited fatigue for drinking coffee rather than recognizing habitual patterns, despite stable fatigue levels.
Both studies highlight a tendency to undervalue habits and overemphasize internal states like mood and tiredness. Clinical psychologist Debra Kawahara notes that people often believe emotions have a greater influence on behavior than accumulated habits.
"Individuals want to believe they have stronger self-control and intentionality than reality shows," Kawahara explains. "We prefer to see ourselves as deliberate decision-makers, not as driven by automatic habits."
Taish Malone, PhD, LPC
Our memories and emotions reinforce habits by associating actions with rewarding outcomes, deepening behavioral patterns.
— Taish Malone, PhD, LPC Because habits operate subconsciously, many daily habitual actions go unnoticed. Over time, these habits become core to our identity, Kawahara adds.
"Once a habit loop forms, the brain no longer needs to consciously focus on that behavior, freeing mental resources for other tasks," Kawahara explains.
How to Develop Healthy Habits
Licensed professional counselor Taish Malone emphasizes that emotions, memory, and repeated rewards underpin habit formation. When an action consistently leads to a positive outcome, the emotional reward is stored as a memory, reinforcing the habit.
"Even if the reward fades, our memory convinces us it will return, motivating continued habit practice," Malone says.
Introducing a reward system can significantly ease the process of building new habits.
"Practice combined with incentives solidifies habit strength. A practical approach is to start by identifying a reward, then consistently perform behaviors leading to it," Malone advises.
Taish Malone, PhD, LPC
Practice and rewards are the foundation of habit formation; working backward from a desired incentive ensures success.
— Taish Malone, PhD, LPCFor example, if exercising feels daunting, pair it with a motivating reward like a favorite snack or watching a beloved show only during workouts. This association encourages habit adoption.
"We can naturally develop positive habits through rewarding actions or intentionally rewire our brains using neuroplasticity to achieve desired behaviors," Malone explains.
While "rewiring the brain" sounds complex, humans are remarkably adaptable. Rewarding yourself is key to establishing healthy habits or breaking harmful ones.
Practical Implications
To better understand our actions, it’s important to discern which behaviors stem from habits rather than attributing them solely to moods or emotions.
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- Mental Health Updates
Wood W, Rünger D. The Psychology of Habit. Annual Review of Psychology. 2016;67(1):289-314. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-122414-033417
Gardner B, Lally P, Wardle J. Establishing Health Habits: The Psychology Behind Habit Formation in General Practice. British Journal of General Practice. 2012;62(605):664-666. doi:10.3399/bjgp12X659466
Mazar A, Wood W. Illusory Feelings and Elusive Habits: Why People Overlook Habits in Explaining Behavior. Psychological Science. 2022;33(4):563-578. doi:10.1177/09567976211045345
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