University Lecture Comprehension
Read the questions below, then press Play (about 35 seconds).
1. What percentage of daily actions are habits rather than decisions?
2. What happens in the brain when we perform a habit?
3. How many stages does the habit loop have?
4. Which of these is NOT mentioned as a possible cue?
Read the transcript of this part
Try listening first, then use the text to check what you heard. Audio uses a computer-generated voice.
Today I'd like to talk about the psychology of habits and why they're so difficult to change. Research shows that approximately forty percent of our daily actions are not actual decisions but habits. When we perform a habit, our brain essentially goes on autopilot. This process involves three stages, which scientists call the habit loop. First, there's the cue, which is a trigger that tells your brain to go into automatic mode. This could be a time of day, an emotional state, or a location.