Habits and behavioral complexity - dynamic and distinct constructs

What Is Behavioral Complexity? Lay Perceptions of Characteristics of Complex Behavior

A behavior's complexity may impact habit formation, with implications for habit-based public health and environmental intervention designs. However, there are varying conceptualizations of behavioral complexity, hindering the synthesis of findings. To develop a unified definition, the aim of this study was to explore perceptions of behavioral complexity and identify behaviors that exemplify aspects of complexity. Participants (N = 225) completed a questionnaire concerning the complexity of various health and environmental behaviors, the importance of complexity characteristics previously identified by researchers (novelty, difficulty, steps, planning, immediacy of reward, time, attention, skill, mental resources, self-efficacy, motivation for a behavior, and supportiveness of the context) and demographics. Participants considered all proposed characteristics to be important. Complex behaviors (e.g., abstaining from smoking and taking insulin shots), compared to simple behaviors (e.g., eating fruit and stretching), are more likely to be true to the previously identified characteristics. Perceived complexity is influenced by several salient characteristics. Results may contribute to a synthesized definition and underpin future research to better identify behavior change techniques to foster habitual behaviors of varying complexity. Hence, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers may identify common barriers and facilitators of behavior to target in interventions. However, further research is required to contextualize the findings.

Some habits are more work than others: Deliberate self-regulation strategy use increases with behavioral complexity, even for established habits

OBJECTIVE

We tested the hypothesis that complex behaviors are commonly supported by self-regulation strategies, even when those behaviors are supported by strong instigation habits.

BACKGROUND

Goal-directed and habit-mediated processes arise from separable systems that have been suggested to seldomly interact.

RESULTS

Self-regulation strategy use was lower for habitually instigated simple behaviors compared to nonhabitually instigated simple behaviors. However, participants' use of self-regulation strategies increased with the increasing complexity of behaviors, even when complex behaviors were habitually instigated. The difference in the extent of strategy use between habitually and nonhabitually instigated actions was absent when behavioral complexity was particularly high.

CONCLUSION

These results point to a qualitative distinction-while simple behaviors may progress in a relatively automatic and unthinking manner, complex behaviors receive frequent support from self-regulation strategies, even if they are instigated habitually.