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Something that is discussed widely among *many* behavioral scientists is how distracting (at best) & costly (at worst) the following reductive thinking is: Thinking that behavior change = habit formation = @bjfogg model.
Unfortunately, it is more complicated than that. Just like
Unfortunately, it is more complicated than that. Just like
when we learned the Earth goes around the Sun.
I've considered tweeting abt this B4 but have stopped short as a thread doesn't do it justice. However, this came up AGAIN 2dy & I feel compelled. Here r my brief high-level thoughts...
I've considered tweeting abt this B4 but have stopped short as a thread doesn't do it justice. However, this came up AGAIN 2dy & I feel compelled. Here r my brief high-level thoughts...
... A primer on why you should read work by ppl like this https://oxfordre.com/psychology/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190236557.001.0001/acrefore-9780190236557-e-129 & not pay $2K for a course like this https://tinyhabitsacademy.com/certification/
1. Behavior change reqs "motivation" but what is motivation anyway? Intrinsic to extrinsic motivation exist on a continuum. Read more here: https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/
Just like respected physicists & cosmologists, these scholars do rigorous work & publish peer-reviewed work.
Just like respected physicists & cosmologists, these scholars do rigorous work & publish peer-reviewed work.
2. Ability is key. Being able-bodied 2 get in steps/day is necessary. But what factors exist outside the indiv 2 influence "able-ness" - if I'm a single working Mom living in an unsafe neighborhood am I really "able" to get in 150mins/wk of MVPA? Or, r there SDOH that inhibit me?
3. My "prompt" as a call to act is everything from an environmental cue to an internal compulsion. What happens when I am operating in my Default Mode Network? https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-36269-4
When something becomes a "habit," does it generalize 2 all contexts? What if my working memory load is full? What abt decision fatigue? What if I'm not actually deciding? I have So.Many.Questions.
Our field has come so far in the past 20 yrs & is accelerating at a rapid clip...
Our field has come so far in the past 20 yrs & is accelerating at a rapid clip...
... We know that change is non-linear:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3163164/
Conclusions drawn from group-level data are extremely imprecise for individuals: https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/115/27/E6106.full.pdf
&
intensive longitudinal data is necessary 4 personalization: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3288551/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3163164/
Conclusions drawn from group-level data are extremely imprecise for individuals: https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/115/27/E6106.full.pdf
&
intensive longitudinal data is necessary 4 personalization: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3288551/
In summary,
Let's not diminish how hard behavior change is so we can sell how to design for it. Behavior change is hard. Science helps!
More reading:
https://behavioralpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/BSP_vol1is1_Wood.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7524543/ https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2680117
Let's not diminish how hard behavior change is so we can sell how to design for it. Behavior change is hard. Science helps!
More reading:
https://behavioralpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/BSP_vol1is1_Wood.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7524543/ https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2680117
