Habits are repeated behaviors. Some habits are benign. For example, a baseball player has the habit of touching their foot with their bat every time they step into the batter’s box, or a teenager has a habit of checking their phone every time it makes a new message sound. Some habits can be harmful. Addictions and compulsions can keep people from accomplishing their goals.
Examples of the Habits Factor
- Checks phone constantly
- Morning coffee ritual
- Exercises daily
- Procrastinates
Researching Habits
Learning people’s habits reveals behaviors that take up time in their day—things they can and sometimes can not control.
Questions to Ask
- How much control does this person have over this habit?
- What caused this habit?
- Does this person regret having this habit?
- How does a person continue this habit?
- What does this habit reveal about the ways this person prefers to behave?
Look For
- Repetitive behavior
- Complaints that a person wishes they could stop a habit
- Habits that suggest traditions
Sources
Social Science
Aarts, H., & Dijksterhuis, A. (2000). Habits as knowledge structures: Automaticity in goal-directed behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78(1), 53-63. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.78.1.53
Holland, R. W., Aarts, H., & Langendam, D. (2006). Breaking and creating habits on the working floor: A field-experiment on the power of implementation intentions. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 42(6), 776-783. doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2005.11.006
