Habit and health behaviour: to examine the impact of habit strength on a range of health-related behaviours

Past behaviour is typically found to be the strongest predictor of future behaviour. When this occurs it is usually taken to reflect the operation of habits – i.e., learned sequences of acts that have become automatic responses to specific cues. The PhD student will examine the impact of habit strength on a range of health-related behaviours (e.g., exercise, alcohol consumption), with a particular focus on the key contextual cues that trigger health-promoting and health-compromising behaviour. The student will also examine the extent to which habit strength moderates the effectiveness of interventions (e.g., self-efficacy enhancement, implementation intentions) to change health-related behaviour.