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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 20, 2026

Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal

Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal

Published on: April 18, 2017

Context-dependent interaction between goal-directed and habitual control under time pressure.

Ben J Wagner^1,2, Sascha Frölich¹, Sarah Schwöbel¹

¹Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.

Communications Psychology

|May 18, 2026

Summary

Habits and goal-directed actions interact dynamically, with habit strength increasing with repetitions. Participants adaptively use habits based on context, inhibiting them when incongruent with goals and using them when aligned.

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Last Updated: May 20, 2026

Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal

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Published on: April 18, 2017

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Published on: May 8, 2021

Area of Science:

Cognitive psychology
Neuroscience
Behavioral science

Background:

Habitual behavior and goal-directed actions are theorized to involve separate yet interacting control systems.
The interaction between these systems under time pressure remains poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the interaction between habitual and goal-directed action control under time pressure.
To determine how context influences the modulation of habitual behavior.

Main Methods:

A novel task was designed to elicit habitual action sequences alongside goal-directed actions (congruent or incongruent).
Computational modeling and drift-diffusion modeling were employed to analyze choices and reaction times in 60 participants.
Habitual and goal-directed behaviors were concurrently measured.

Main Results:

Models incorporating repetition-dependent habit strength outperformed those with constant habit strength.
Participants selectively inhibited habits incongruent with goals and utilized congruent habits.
Drift-diffusion modeling revealed a response-bias shift when habits and goals aligned.

Conclusions:

Habitual and goal-directed actions interact in a context-dependent manner.
This interaction allows for adaptive allocation of proactive and reactive control.
Habit strength is influenced by the number of action repetitions.