Time-dependent competition between goal-directed and habitual response preparation
Robert M Hardwick1,2,3, Alexander D Forrence4, John W Krakauer4,5
1Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA. robert.hardwick@uclouvain.be.
Nature Human Behaviour
|October 2, 2019
Summary
Habits may involve preparing a response, not just initiating it. Latent habits can emerge when response initiation is rapid, revealing how practice shapes habit formation and expression.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Habits are typically viewed as stimulus-response associations.
- This study proposes habits involve response preparation, not necessarily initiation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of response preparation in habit formation.
- To explore how practice influences the expression of latent habits.
Main Methods:
- Participants practiced a visuomotor association, followed by remapping.
- Response times were manipulated to unmask latent habitual responses.
- A computational model was used to analyze habit expression dynamics.
Main Results:
- Rapid responses (~300-600ms) revealed previously unexpressed habitual responses.
- Increased practice reduced preparation latency and increased habit expression.
- Habitual responses are automatically prepared but can be overridden by goal-directed actions.
Conclusions:
- Habits involve automatic response preparation that can be suppressed.
- Practice strengthens habit formation and modulates the likelihood of expression.
- Understanding habit preparation is key to explaining habit expression dynamics.
Related Concept Videos
01:08Timing and Consequences on Behavior
324
In operant conditioning, the timing of reinforcement is crucial. For animals like rats and cats, immediate reinforcement (within a few seconds) is much more effective than delayed reinforcement. For example, a food reward for a rat needs to follow within 30 seconds of pressing a bar to be effective.
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant...
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant...
324
02:45Self-Discrepancy Theory
18.8K
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
18.8K
01:28Automatic Processing and Automatic Social Behavior
194
Automatic processing refers to the cognitive operations that occur without conscious intent or awareness, playing a fundamental role in shaping social cognition and behavior. These processes enable individuals to navigate complex social environments efficiently by relying on mental shortcuts and pre-existing knowledge structures known as schemas. One of the most influential mechanisms underlying automatic processing is priming, which subtly activates mental representations through exposure to...
194
01:37Reason and Intuition
7.4K
The human brain processes information for decision-making using one of two routes: an intuitive system and a rational system (Epstein, 1994; popularized by Kahneman, 2011 as System 1 and System 2, respectively). The intuitive system is quick, impulsive, and operates with minimal effort, relying on emotions or habits to provide cues for what to do next, while the rational system is logical, analytical, deliberate, and methodical. Research in neuropsychology suggests that the...
7.4K
01:19High-Level and Low-Level Awareness
602
Controlled processes in human consciousness represent high-alert mental states where individuals deliberately focus their attention on achieving specific goals. Controlled processes can be seen in situations like mastering new technology, where a person might become so absorbed that they ignore surrounding distractions. Such processes involve selective attention, requiring one to concentrate on particular elements of experience while disregarding others. These are governed by executive...
602