Abstract
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
Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, C. H. M., Potts, H. W. W., & Wardle, J. (2010). European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), 998–1009. DOI
Key findings
- are habits formed — 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.
- modelling habit formation — They completed the self‐report habit index (SRHI) each day and recorded whether they carried out the behaviour.
- real world — 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.
- abstract investigate process — Nonlinear regressions fitted an asymptotic curve to each individual’s automaticity scores over the 84 days.
Limits
Habit formation modelling — self-report diaries; 66-day average is a model fit, not a universal calendar for every behaviour.