Do Habits Fade Out? Discerning Between Two Theories Using Agent-Based Simulation

Rijk Mercuur; Virginia Dignum; Catholijn M. Jonker

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-61503-1_35

Do Habits Fade Out? Discerning Between Two Theories Using Agent-Based Simulation

Rijk Mercuur^*, Virginia Dignum, Catholijn M. Jonker

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedings/Edited volume › Conference contribution › Scientific › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

49 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Inducing behavioural change requires a good understanding of how habits break. We identified two theories in the psychological literature on this process: the decrease theory and persist theory. Both theories are used to explain behavioural change, but one states the original habit fades out, while the other theory states the habit persists. We use agent-based simulation to show that the two theories lead to different behaviour when the agents are motivated to do multiple alternative actions (e.g., take the bike or take the train), instead of one alternative action (e.g., take the bike). This finding is relevant for the social scientific field, because (1) it shows a scenario where it matters if habits persist and (2) it enables an empirical experiment to discern the two theories.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Advances in Social Simulation - Proceedings of the 15th Social Simulation Conference, 2019
Editors	Petra Ahrweiler, Martin Neumann
Publisher	Springer
Pages	361-373
Number of pages	13
ISBN (Print)	978-3-0306-1502-4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61503-1_35
Publication status	Published - 2021
Event	15th Social Simulation Conference, SSC 2019 - Mainz, Germany Duration: 23 Sept 2019 → 27 Sept 2019

Publication series

Name	Springer Proceedings in Complexity
ISSN (Print)	2213-8684
ISSN (Electronic)	2213-8692

Conference

Conference	15th Social Simulation Conference, SSC 2019
Country/Territory	Germany
City	Mainz
Period	23/09/19 → 27/09/19

Bibliographical note

Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care
Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.

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Mercuur2021_Chapter_DoHabitsFadeOutDiscerningBetwe_1_Final published version, 459 KB

Cite this

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title = "Do Habits Fade Out? Discerning Between Two Theories Using Agent-Based Simulation",

abstract = "Inducing behavioural change requires a good understanding of how habits break. We identified two theories in the psychological literature on this process: the decrease theory and persist theory. Both theories are used to explain behavioural change, but one states the original habit fades out, while the other theory states the habit persists. We use agent-based simulation to show that the two theories lead to different behaviour when the agents are motivated to do multiple alternative actions (e.g., take the bike or take the train), instead of one alternative action (e.g., take the bike). This finding is relevant for the social scientific field, because (1) it shows a scenario where it matters if habits persist and (2) it enables an empirical experiment to discern the two theories.",

author = "Rijk Mercuur and Virginia Dignum and Jonker, {Catholijn M.}",

note = "Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository {\textquoteleft}You share, we take care!{\textquoteright} – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public. ; 15th Social Simulation Conference, SSC 2019 ; Conference date: 23-09-2019 Through 27-09-2019",

year = "2021",

doi = "10.1007/978-3-030-61503-1_35",

language = "English",

isbn = "978-3-0306-1502-4",

series = "Springer Proceedings in Complexity",

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pages = "361--373",

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booktitle = "Advances in Social Simulation - Proceedings of the 15th Social Simulation Conference, 2019",

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Mercuur, R, Dignum, V & Jonker, CM 2021, Do Habits Fade Out? Discerning Between Two Theories Using Agent-Based Simulation. in P Ahrweiler & M Neumann (eds), Advances in Social Simulation - Proceedings of the 15th Social Simulation Conference, 2019. Springer Proceedings in Complexity, Springer, pp. 361-373, 15th Social Simulation Conference, SSC 2019, Mainz, Germany, 23/09/19. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61503-1_35

Do Habits Fade Out? Discerning Between Two Theories Using Agent-Based Simulation. / Mercuur, Rijk; Dignum, Virginia; Jonker, Catholijn M.
Advances in Social Simulation - Proceedings of the 15th Social Simulation Conference, 2019. ed. / Petra Ahrweiler; Martin Neumann. Springer, 2021. p. 361-373 (Springer Proceedings in Complexity).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedings/Edited volume › Conference contribution › Scientific › peer-review

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AU - Dignum, Virginia

AU - Jonker, Catholijn M.

N1 - Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.

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N2 - Inducing behavioural change requires a good understanding of how habits break. We identified two theories in the psychological literature on this process: the decrease theory and persist theory. Both theories are used to explain behavioural change, but one states the original habit fades out, while the other theory states the habit persists. We use agent-based simulation to show that the two theories lead to different behaviour when the agents are motivated to do multiple alternative actions (e.g., take the bike or take the train), instead of one alternative action (e.g., take the bike). This finding is relevant for the social scientific field, because (1) it shows a scenario where it matters if habits persist and (2) it enables an empirical experiment to discern the two theories.

AB - Inducing behavioural change requires a good understanding of how habits break. We identified two theories in the psychological literature on this process: the decrease theory and persist theory. Both theories are used to explain behavioural change, but one states the original habit fades out, while the other theory states the habit persists. We use agent-based simulation to show that the two theories lead to different behaviour when the agents are motivated to do multiple alternative actions (e.g., take the bike or take the train), instead of one alternative action (e.g., take the bike). This finding is relevant for the social scientific field, because (1) it shows a scenario where it matters if habits persist and (2) it enables an empirical experiment to discern the two theories.

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Do Habits Fade Out? Discerning Between Two Theories Using Agent-Based Simulation

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