Reflecting on non-reflective action: An exploratory think-aloud study of self-report habit measures

Objectives. Within health psychology, habit – the tendency to enact action automatically as a learned response to contextual cues – is most commonly quantified using the ‘Self-Report Habit Index’, which assesses behavioural automaticity, or measures combining self-reported behaviour frequency and context stability. Yet, the use of self-report to capture habit has proven controversial. This study used ‘think aloud’ methods to investigate problems experienced when completing these two measures. Design. Cross-sectional survey with think-aloud study. Methods. Twenty student participants narrated their thoughts while completing habit measures applied to four health-related behaviours (active commuting, unhealthy snacking, and one context-free and one context-specific variant of alcohol consumption). Data were coded using thematic analysis procedures. Results. Problems were found in 10% of responses. Notable findings included participants lacking confidence in reporting automaticity, struggling to recall behaviour or cues, differing in interpretations of ‘commuting’, and misinterpreting items. Conclusions. While most responses were unproblematic, and further work is needed to investigate habit self-reports among larger and more diverse samples, findings nonetheless question the sensitivity of the measures, and the conceptualisation of habit underpinning common applications of them. We offer suggestions to minimise these problems

Habit and identity : Behavioral, cognitive, affective, and motivational facets of an integrated self

Acknowledgements The authors thank Anna Gladwin, Viknesh Jeevachandran, and Imogen Ormston for their contributions to programming and data collection and Eve Legrand and Greg Maio for their insightful comments.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Image, not environmentalism:a qualitative exploration of factors influencing vehicle purchasing decisions

Previous quantitative research has suggested people take environmental impact into account when choosing cars, and are largely uninfluenced by issues of image. However, neither of these claims appears to reflect current car buying behaviour in the UK. We hypothesized this may be due to the nature of the questions typically used in earlier research, which may have prompted participants to consider environmental issues, and downplay the role of image, more than they would spontaneously. The current research provides a qualitative exploration of factors important to people when deciding which car to buy. Open-ended discussion with recent car-buyers revealed the factors which were most important during the participants’ decision making processes, without prompting participants to agree with ideas raised by the experimenter. These issues were explored in two studies, using a series of focus groups (Study 1), and one-on-one interviews (Study 2). In both studies, the two most central factors were issues of practicality and finance, consistent with previous research. However, unlike in previous research, both studies found image had substantial impact on purchasing decisions. Further, earlier explicit surveys claimed people often considered environmental factors when choosing a vehicle, yet these were hardly mentioned in the current studies. This highlights the importance of using a range of research methods when studying personal travel decisions. Key areas for follow-up research and implications for policy makers aiming to increase uptake sales of low-carbon cars are discussed

Making Sense of Sustainability: Exploring the Subjective Meaning of Sustainable Consumption

This article investigated what the term “sustainability” meant to a group of proenvironmental people living in Peterborough, in the east of England. The data was collected and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analyses. Recycling came most readily to mind in those interviewed. Results revealed that respondents attributed unsustainable behavior in themselves and others to “lack of thought.” The various strands of the analysis, when drawn together into a coherent framework, highlight that the business of life continues to perpetuate thoughtless consuming, even in those who are conscious of global warming. This suggests that education programs could be orientated toward addressing this “lack of thought” to encourage more thoughtful consumption

Habits In virtual Teams: An Exploratory Study

Despite the differences between virtual and collocated teams, empirical studies have identified a number of challenges that virtual teams experience. We argue, in this work-in-progress study, that habits constitute a good explanatory factor for understanding behaviour in the virtual team environment. In this study, we analyse ‘offline’ habits in the cases of student-based global virtual teams and examine the degree to which these have been modified or replicated within an online, virtual team situation

Habit and climate change

Many climate-relevant behaviours are habitual. Habits are memory-based propensities to respond automatically to specific cues, acquired by repetition of behaviours in stable contexts. Socio-cognitive models are widely used to predict climate-relevant behaviours; but by positing behaviour as intentional, provide a poor account of habitual behaviours. While unsustainable habits are barriers to change, their very features (frequency and resistance to change) also make them desirable for sustainable behaviours to obtain. While informational approaches are generally ineffective for breaking habits; legislation, incentives, ‘nudges’, implementation intentions, competitions, and ‘moments of change’ (e.g., moving house) are more effective. Linking behaviour to identity and a stable context can ensure new habits endure. Psychological theories and policy efficacy can be greatly improved by attention to habits