Self-regulation is negatively associated with habit tendencies: A validation of the German Creature of Habit Scale

Abstract

Adaptive behavior depends on the process of self-regulation. If self-regulation fails, maladaptive behavior may start to predominate, leading to impulsive actions, maladaptive habits, and compulsive behavior patterns. The tendency to develop habitual behavior differs between individuals and appears to be associated with different aspects of regulatory control. The present study examined associations of habitual propensity with self-regulation, impulsivity, and compulsivity, elucidating possible underlying functional connections and evaluated the psychometric properties of a German version of the Creature of Habit Scale (COHS). Data of two independent community samples was collected online. Dynamic connections with measures of regulatory control, namely self-regulation, impulsivity, and compulsivity, were analyzed using a network approach. Psychometric analyses were conducted using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses utilizing a Bayesian lasso procedure. Network analysis revealed that self-regulation was the most central node within the network of dynamic interactions between habitual propensity, impulsivity, and compulsivity. Self-regulation exclusively had negative associations with other measures. We replicated and validated the two-factorial structure of the COHS. Our findings provide evidence that habitual propensity is interconnected with measures of regulatory control. Information gathered using the COHS could be useful in identifying vulnerabilities and developing tailored therapeutic strategies for psychopathologies associated with deficient regulatory control.