Uploaded March 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
We all have habits. They are an extremely common form of learning. But I didn't really understand how they worked until I started reading research about them. This idea explains the basic concept of a habit: a brain association involving a situational cue a largely automated behavioral response. Plus some extra info on the relationship of habits to rewards and goals.
00:00 Introduction
0:17 My habit
0:27 Habits or habitual behaviors?
1:30 Habits and rewards
2:08 The popcorn study
3:22 Habits and goals
3:47 Habit formation
4:20 Habits and reward cards
5:20 What about bad habits?
For more videos on learning, check out my learning community: benjaminkeep.com/community
Sign up to my email newsletter, Avoiding Folly, here: benjaminkeep.com
Thanks to Gage Skidmore for the photo of M. Night Shyamalan, which can be found here: flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/25527446923
REFERENCES
Most of the material for this video came from this 2009 joint:
Wood, W., & Neal, D. T. (2009). The habitual consumer. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 19(4), 579-592.
It's really, really good. Chock full of useful insights.
The popcorn study (oft-referenced by Wood and Neal) is here:
Neal, D. T., Wood, W., Wu, M., & Kurlander, D. (2011). The pull of the past: When do habits persist despite conflict with motives?. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37(11), 1428-1437.
I also drew on this great piece emphasizing the distinction between habits and habitual behaviors (i.e., the brain association/automated thingy and the actual behavior):
Gardner, B., Richards, R., Lally, P., Rebar, A., Thwaite, T., & Beeken, R. J. (2021). Breaking habits or breaking habitual behaviours? Old habits as a neglected factor in weight loss maintenance. Appetite, 162, 105183.
Incidentally, Wendy Wood has a book on habits that just came out recently. I would check it out if you're interested in learning more.
We all have habits. They are an extremely common form of learning. But I didn't really understand how they worked until I started reading research about them. This idea explains the basic concept of a habit: a brain association involving a situational cue a largely automated behavioral response. Plus some extra info on the relationship of habits to rewards and goals.
00:00 Introduction
0:17 My habit
0:27 Habits or habitual behaviors?
1:30 Habits and rewards
2:08 The popcorn study
3:22 Habits and goals
3:47 Habit formation
4:20 Habits and reward cards
5:20 What about bad habits?
For more videos on learning, check out my learning community: benjaminkeep.com/community
Sign up to my email newsletter, Avoiding Folly, here: benjaminkeep.com
Thanks to Gage Skidmore for the photo of M. Night Shyamalan, which can be found here: flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/25527446923
REFERENCES
Most of the material for this video came from this 2009 joint:
Wood, W., & Neal, D. T. (2009). The habitual consumer. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 19(4), 579-592.
It's really, really good. Chock full of useful insights.
The popcorn study (oft-referenced by Wood and Neal) is here:
Neal, D. T., Wood, W., Wu, M., & Kurlander, D. (2011). The pull of the past: When do habits persist despite conflict with motives?. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37(11), 1428-1437.
I also drew on this great piece emphasizing the distinction between habits and habitual behaviors (i.e., the brain association/automated thingy and the actual behavior):
Gardner, B., Richards, R., Lally, P., Rebar, A., Thwaite, T., & Beeken, R. J. (2021). Breaking habits or breaking habitual behaviours? Old habits as a neglected factor in weight loss maintenance. Appetite, 162, 105183.
Incidentally, Wendy Wood has a book on habits that just came out recently. I would check it out if you're interested in learning more.
