34 / Rotman Management Spring 20 19
effortless and repeated actions that develop when the following
cycle is repeated multiple times: A situational cue triggers a be-
haviour, and that behaviour triggers a reward. Exactly how many
repetitions of this cycle are required to generate a habit remains
an open question, and it is likely context-dependent.
Past research suggests that intervening to creating sus-
tained behaviour change in the form of new habits requires the
deployment of two kinds of strategies:
Targeting the situation. Strategies targeting the situation insert
behaviour-triggering cues that are both interesting and obvious,
making beneficial behaviours easier and more rewarding.
Shifting peoples’ cognition. The second type of strategy shifts
cognitions, equipping people, for example, with ‘beneficial be-
liefs’. This allows them to forecast the consequences of their
behaviours more accurately and act more adeptly.
Importantly, changing cognitions without changing the situ-
ation puts an inordinate burden on individual willpower—and as
a result, there should be synergy in applying these approaches in
combination. We will now review some of the most promising
research-based strategies for changing behaviour for good.
- TEACH PEOPLE TO CUE THEMSELVES. Ensuring that cues are estab-
lished to reliably trigger desired behaviours is key to creating
habits. One way to ensure cues are present when they are needed
is by teaching people to cue themselves. When people form ‘if-
then’ plans about the behaviours they intend to engage in follow-
ing a given cue, this robustly increases follow-through. An exam-
ple of an if-then plan is: ‘If it is a weekday and I am about to leave
the house for work, then I will make my own coffee instead of
going to Starbucks.’ If-then plans reliably promote follow-
through on one-time behaviours, but they can also promote
sustained behaviour change. One study found that teaching stu-
dents goal setting and planning skills improves attendance and
grades in the following marking period. Together, this research
suggests that to facilitate durable behaviour change, it is helpful
to coach people to make if-then plans that put cues in place to
trigger desirable behaviours.- PIGGYBACK CUES. Another way to ensure cues to trigger desired
behaviours are reliably present is by ‘piggybacking’ desired be-
haviours onto existing routines. For instance, adding a desired
behaviour (e.g., flossing, eating an apple a day) onto the end of
a routine that is already habitual (e.g., brushing your teeth, hav-
ing a cup of coffee) can be an effective way to create lasting hab-
its. In one study, flossing habits were more effectively generated
by encouraging people to floss after brushing their teeth, rather
than vice versa. - CHANGE BELIEFS ABOUT BENEFICIAL BEHAVIOURS. People will do
things that they believe to be valuable, and accordingly, one of
the most powerful cognitive interventions available is to change
beliefs about the likelihood of success. For example, teaching
students that their abilities — including their intelligence — can
improve with effort and experience has been shown to improve
report card grades and course completion among at-risk groups.
And showing students that ‘deliberate practice is difficult, but
it is both doable and effective’ changes how they interpret the
necessary frustration of attempting skills they have not yet
mastered — particularly among low-achieving students.
Beliefs about ‘norms’ — the attitudes and behaviours of
other people — also powerfully influence behaviour. For exam-
ple, in one study, learning that many people were reducing their
consumption of meat prompted more cafeteria patrons to order
meatless meals.
Adding a desired behaviour onto the end of a routine that is already
habitual is an effective way to create a lasting habit.