The Psychology of Habit

This unique reference explores the processes and nuances of human habits through social psychology and behavioral lenses. It provides a robust definition and theoretical framework for habit as well as up-to-date information on habit measurement, addressing such questions as which mechanisms are involved in habitual action and whether people can report accurately on their own habits. Specialized chapters pay close attention to how habits can be modified, as well as widely varying manifestations of habitual thoughts and behaviors, including the mechanisms of drug addiction and recovery, the repetitive characteristics of autism, and the unwitting habits of health professionals that may impede patient care. And across these pages, contributors show the potential for using the processes of maladaptive habits to replace them with positive and health-promoting ones. Throughout this volume attention is also paid to the practice of conducting habit research.

Among the topics covered:

• Habit mechanisms and behavioral complexity.
• Complexities and controversies of physical activity habit.
• Habit discontinuities as vehicles for behavior change.
• Habits in depression: understanding and intervention.
• A critical review of habit theory of drug dependence.
• Questions about the automaticity of habitual behaviors.

The Psychology of Habit will interest psychologists across a wide spectrum of domains: habit researchers in broader areas of social and health psychology, professionals working in (sub)clinical areas, interested scholars in marketing, consumer research, communication, and education, and public policymakers dealing with questions of behavioral change in the areas of health, sustainability, and/or education.

Auteur

Professor Bas Verplanken graduated and obtained his PhD at the University of Leiden, The Netherlands, where he worked as a Research Fellow and Lecturer from 1980-1990. From 1990-1998 he was a Lecturer and senior lecturer at the University of Nijmegen. From 1998 to 2006 he was a professor at the University of Tromsø, Norway. In 2006 he joined the University of Bath, where he was Head of Department of Psychology from 2010-2016. His research interests are in attitude-behaviour relations and change, applied in the domains of environmental, health, and consumer psychology. He has developed a special interest in habits. He published on a variety of topics, including risk perception, environmental concern, unhealthy eating, travel mode choice, values, self-esteem, body image, worrying, mindfulness, impulsive buying, behaviour change, and sustainable lifestyles. He served as an associate editor of the British Journal of Social Psychology and Psychology and Health.

Contenu
Introduction- Bas VerplankenI. Theory, Measurement, and Mechanisms1. Wendy Wood and David Neal - Habit Theory2. Amanda Rebar, Ryan Rhodes, Bas Verplanken - The Measurement of Habit3. Henk Aarts, Ruud Custers, Hans Morien, - The Mechanisms of Habit4. Barbara Mullen - Habit Mechanisms in Complex Behaviours II. Habit Formation, Maintenance, and Change5. Benjamin Gardner and Philippa Lally - Understanding Habit Formation: Progress and Pitfalls 6. Ryan Rhodes and Amanda Rebar - Forming a Physical Activity7. Hairul Hashim - The Role of Visual Prompts in Habit Formation8. Falko Sniehotta, Dominika Kwasnicka - The Role of Habit Formation in Behavior Change Maintenance Process: A Theoretical Perspective9. Marieke Adriaanse, Aukje Verhoeven: Breaking Habits Using Monitoring and Implementation Intentions10. Raymond Miltenberger - The Habit Reversal Procedure11. Dominika Kwasnicka and Falko Sniehotta - The N-of-1 Method in Habit Formation and Change 12. Bas Verplanken and Deborah Roy - Habit Discontinuities III. Mental Habits13. Ed Watkins - Habitual Thinking in Clinical Settings14. Aukje Verhoeven, Sanne de Wit - The Role of Habits in Maladaptive Behavior and Therapeutic Interventions15. Inna Arnaudova - Habit and Psychopathology: A Transdiagnostic Approach16. Claire Zedelius and Jonathan Schooler - Mind Wandering in the Lab and the FieldIV. Specific Areas of Habit 17. Lee Hogarth- Habit and Drug Dependence18. Joseph Bayer and Robert LaRose - Online Media Habits: Progress and Prospects19. Raphael Thomadson - The Role of Habit and Variety Seeking in Marketing 20. Justin Pressau and Falko Sniehotta - Creating and Breaking Habit in Healthcare Professional Behaviors to Improve Healthcare and Health21. Conclusion - Sheila Orbell