The secret habits that control your life | Wendy Wood

In this insightful episode, behavioral scientist Wendy Wood challenges the negative perception of habits in psychology. She explores the profound impact habits have on human behavior, often operating beneath our conscious awareness. Through a compelling example from the 1980s, Wood illustrates the power of habits in influencing everyday choices, emphasizing the role of "friction" as barriers to behavior change. The episode delves into the science behind habit formation, highlighting the crucial role of rewards and dopamine release. Wood emphasizes the importance of working with one's environment to facilitate behavior change and explores how habits contribute to a sense of meaning and control in life. The episode concludes with a reflection on the effectiveness of rituals, drawing parallels with professional athletes who harness habits for confidence and success. This interview is an episode from The Well, our new publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the John Templeton Foundation. Bad habits can be challenging to change due to friction — that is, the time and effort it takes to overcome them. It is widely believed that through better self-control, our habits will change. But it doesn't work like that. The only way to change a bad habit is through repetitive good behavior. Good behavior leads to better outcomes, which leads to our brain releasing dopamine. This "reward" is what helps us form good habits.... About Wendy Wood: Wendy Wood is a social psychologist whose research addresses the ways that habits guide behavior - and why they are so difficult to break - as well as evolutionary accounts of gender differences in behavior. Professor Wood has been Associate Editor of Psychological Review, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology Review, and Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, the Society for Experimental Social Psychology, and a founding member of the Society for Research Synthesis. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- chapters:- 0:00 intro 2:30 friction 3:37 repetition 3:48 reward 4:18 contexts 5:01 rituals Listen To This Next: Adam Grant's #1 phrase to unlock potential The science of super longevity Beat anxiety with the most addictive experience on Earth ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Big Think | Smarter Faster™ ► Big Think The leading source of expert-driven, educational content. With thousands of videos, featuring experts ranging from Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think helps you get smarter, faster by exploring the big ideas and core skills that define knowledge in the 21st century. Get Smarter, Faster.... With Episodes From The Worlds Biggest Thinkers. Follow The Podcast And Turn On The Notifications!! Share This Episode If You Found It Valuable Leave A 5 Star Review Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices