Hale and Hearty Policies: How Psychological Science Can Create and Maintain Healthy Habits

Alexander J Rothman; Peter M Gollwitzer; Adam M Grant; David T Neal; Paschal Sheeran; Wendy Wood

doi:10.1177/1745691615598515

Hale and Hearty Policies: How Psychological Science Can Create and Maintain Healthy Habits

Perspect Psychol Sci. 2015 Nov;10(6):701-5. doi: 10.1177/1745691615598515.

Authors

Alexander J Rothman¹, Peter M Gollwitzer², Adam M Grant³, David T Neal⁴, Paschal Sheeran⁵, Wendy Wood⁶

Affiliations

¹ University of Minnesota rothm001@umn.edu.
² New York University/University of Konstanz.
³ University of Pennsylvania.
⁴ Catalyst Behavioral Sciences.
⁵ University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
⁶ University of Southern California.

PMID: 26581721
DOI: 10.1177/1745691615598515

Abstract

Strategies are needed to ensure that the U.S. Government meets its goals for improving the health of the nation (e.g., Healthy People 2020). To date, progress toward these goals has been undermined by a set of discernible challenges: People lack sufficient motivation, they frequently fail to translate healthy intentions into action, their efforts are undermined by the persistence of prior unhealthy habits, and they have considerable difficulty maintaining new healthy patterns of behavior. Guided by advances in psychological science, we provide innovative, evidence-based policies that address each of these challenges and, if implemented, will enhance people's ability to create and maintain healthy behavioral practices.

Keywords: habits; health behavior; intention; maintenance; policy.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Habits*
Health Behavior*
Health Policy*
Healthy People Programs / methods*
Humans
Intention
Motivation
Psychology
United States