Towards parsimony in habit measurement: Testing the convergent and predictive validity of an automaticity subscale of the Self-Report Habit Index

Benjamin Gardner,Phillippa Lally,Charles Abraham,Gert-Jan De Bruijn

doi:10.1186/1479-5868-9-102

Abstract

BackgroundThe twelve-item Self-Report Habit Index (SRHI) is the most popular measure of energy-balance related habits. This measure characterises habit by automatic activation, behavioural frequency, and relevance to self-identity. Previous empirical research suggests that the SRHI may be abbreviated with no losses in reliability or predictive utility. Drawing on recent theorising suggesting that automaticity is the ‘active ingredient’ of habit-behaviour relationships, we tested whether an automaticity-specific SRHI subscale could capture habit-based behaviour patterns in self-report data.MethodsA content validity task was undertaken to identify a subset of automaticity indicators within the SRHI. The reliability, convergent validity and predictive validity of the automaticity item subset was subsequently tested in secondary analyses of all previous SRHI applications, identified via systematic review, and in primary analyses of four raw datasets relating to energy‐balance relevant behaviours (inactive travel, active travel, snacking, and alcohol consumption).ResultsA four-item automaticity subscale (the ‘Self-Report Behavioural Automaticity Index’; ‘SRBAI’) was found to be reliable and sensitive to two hypothesised effects of habit on behaviour: a habit-behaviour correlation, and a moderating effect of habit on the intention-behaviour relationship.ConclusionThe SRBAI offers a parsimonious measure that adequately captures habitual behaviour patterns. The SRBAI may be of particular utility in predicting future behaviour and in studies tracking habit formation or disruption.

Highlights

The twelve-item Self-Report Habit Index (SRHI) is the most popular measure of energy-balance related habits
Correlations of SRHI, Self-Report Behavioural Automaticity Index’ (SRBAI), and behaviour The SRHI and SRBAI correlated at r+ = .92, supporting Hypothesis 1a
We have argued that the impact of habit on behavioural repetition can be more parsimoniously captured by a subset of automaticity items from the Self-Report Habit Index (SRHI)

Summary

Introduction

The twelve-item Self-Report Habit Index (SRHI) is the most popular measure of energy-balance related habits. This measure characterises habit by automatic activation, behavioural frequency, and relevance to self-identity. Drawing on recent theorising suggesting that automaticity is the ‘active ingredient’ of habitbehaviour relationships, we tested whether an automaticity-specific SRHI subscale could capture habit-based behaviour patterns in self-report data. Many energy-balance related behaviours (EBRBs; e.g., active travel, unhealthy snacking) are performed habitually, with little forethought [1]. Effective behaviour change may depend on disrupting the cueresponse relationships that support habitual EBRBs. establishing habits for health-promoting EBRBs will facilitate behavioural maintenance, by increasing the likelihood of behaviour persisting even where motivation diminishes [7,8]. Recent work has sought to model the habit development process [3,9,10], and EBRB interventions explicitly based on habit formation principles are being trialled [11]

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Conclusion