Habits are automatic and repeated behaviours – switching a one-time behaviour into an ongoing habit will achieve longer-lasting behaviour change.
Habit loops are comprised of a cue, a behaviour and a reward.
The Strengthening Habits framework provides a checklist of different cues and rewards to consider when establishing habitual behaviour.
Why consider habits?
The beauty of habits is they happen without us fully registering our actions – they’re automatic and subconscious. They also happen time and time again. If you’re in the habit of brushing your teeth, for example, that’s an ongoing, enduring behaviour.
This means that if we can switch a one-time behaviour into an automatic, repeated routine, we’re on the road to long-lasting behaviour change.
For many organisations, this kind of long-lasting change is crucial as many organisations have goals and targets for ongoing and enduring behaviour change – the goal isn’t for people to cycle to work once and never do it again, quit smoking for just one day, or file taxes correctly for just one financial year.
We’re looking for long-term, enduring and ongoing change.
The habit loop
Introducing the habit loop. It’s a concept that was first established by Charles DuHigg, based off the findings out of MIT’s Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences. The habit loop outlines a simple process for how habits work – a cue in our environment prompts the desired behaviour, then the behaviour is rewarded.
We wanted to add a layer of thinking to the well-established habit loop, to uncover what makes for an effective cue and reward. What if we looked beyond push notifications for cues, for instance, and beyond discounts as rewards?
Through our research and literature review we analysed five different habit models and over 60 case studies to better understand what makes for an effective cue and reward. The work identified a set of clear checklists to follow when considering the breadth and depth of cues and rewards.
Checklist 1: Cues to prompt the desired habitual behaviour
Contextual cues: Consider the environment the desired behaviour occurs in – the items, the space and the surroundings. What physical prompts or timely reminders can we dial up?
Occasional cues: What regular occasions can help cue the desired behaviour? Think about reoccurring moments or events – learning, sporting, socialising, dining, travelling, work, health and administrative occasions.
Social cues: How might we use key people to prompt the desired behaviour? Consider friends, family, colleagues, past users/customers, people of authority or influence and other people in the same environment.
Emotional cues: What emotional state are people in before the desired behaviour? What emotional peaks could cue the next desired behaviour as part of the customer journey?
Sensory cues: What sounds, smells, sensations could cue the desired behaviour?
Behavioural cues: What existing behaviours or routines can we piggyback on to?
Checklist 2: The habitual behaviour
Make it easy: How can effort, or perceived effort, be reduced? Consider reducing the steps involved, completing the first step or framing the behaviour as easy.
Make it visible: To normalise behaviour, consider how to leave visible 'behavioural traces' for others to see – visual symbols or items, referrals or testimonials.
Some is better than none: Keeping the habit loop in motion is an important way to prevent habits from degrading, even if the full behaviour is not completed (e.g. continuing to go to the gym, even to just stretch). If the motivation for the behaviour is dropping or disrupted, what would keep wheels in motion with only a part of the behaviour completed?
Checklist 3: Rewarding the desired habitual behaviour:
Extrinsic rewards: Think external sources – incentives, discounts, external praise and recognition and avoiding fines or penalties to reward the desired behaviour.
Intrinsic rewards: Internal drivers that reaffirm our identity – personal fulfilment, desire to explore, be independent or to feel joy. It could also mean being a good parent/partner/colleague/citizen.
Reinforcers: Repetition is key to habitual behaviour. To reinforce and set up the next behaviour, consider pre-commitment prompts, completing the first step in advance, reminders, discounts and incentives for the next behaviour.
Habits are automatic and repeated behaviours – switching a one-time behaviour into an ongoing habit will achieve longer-lasting behaviour change.
Habit loops are comprised of a cue, a behaviour and a reward.
The Strengthening Habits framework provides a checklist of different cues and rewards to consider when establishing habitual behaviour.
ABOUT THE AUTHORs
Lindsey Horne
Behavioural Insights Director
With a background in neuroscience and applied behavioural science, Lindsey works across behaviour change projects with social and government clients. Her approach to behaviour change is holistic, from broader cultural and social change through to behavioural economics and nudges.
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