| Publications [#39583] of Wendy Wood
search PubMed.Journal Articles
- Wood, W., Tam, L., & Guerrero-Witt, M. (2005). Changing circumstances, disrupting habits. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: Attitudes and Social Cognition, 88, 918-933. [html] [PDF]
(last updated on 2008/11/24)
Abstract: The present research investigated the
mechanisms guiding habitual behavior,
specifically, the stimulus cues that trigger
habit performance. When usual contexts for
performance change, habits cannot be cued
by recurring stimuli, and performance should
be disrupted. Thus, the exercising, newspaper
reading, and TV watching habits of students
transferring to a new university were found
to survive the transfer only when aspects of
the performance context did not change (e.g.,
participants continued to read the paper
with others). In some cases, the disruption
in habits also placed behavior under
intentional control so that participants
acted on their current intentions. Changes in
circumstances also affected the favorability
of intentions, but changes in intentions
alone could not explain the disruption of
habits. Furthermore, regardless of whether
contexts changed, nonhabitual behavior was
guided by intentions.
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