Habit Formation
Rea,
I’ve been writing to you about Skinner, Pavlov, and their experiments with dogs, rats, and pigeons. But did you know that a lot of what we’ve discussed applies to humans as well? In fact, we can use these lessons from science to improve our everyday lives. Let’s take Pavlov’s experience as an example.
Remember how Pavlov’s dogs heard the bell, started salivating (expecting food), and were then rewarded with food? This simple cycle can be considered the 3Rs of habit formation: Remember, Repeat, and Reward.
Here’s how it works:
- Remember: This is the trigger that reminds you to do something. It could be like Pavlov’s bell ringing, or in your case, it might be leaving the house in the morning.
- Repeat: This is the behavior you perform. For example, you check if you have your water bottle, homework, and snacks.
- Reward: This is the positive feeling you get afterward. You feel good knowing you haven’t forgotten something important for school.
The trick to forming good habits is to make this process as simple as possible for your brain. I’ve noticed you’re already doing this! Writing up your checklist on the whiteboard each morning is a great example of how you’re making this easier for yourself. You’re creating a clear “Remember” step that triggers your “Repeat” actions.
Once you understand this basic cycle, you can use it to make your life easier and less stressful. Can you think of any other areas in your life where you could apply this 3R cycle? Maybe for keeping your room tidy, or remembering to practice your instrument?
Love, Abba
