When the Streak Owns the Habit
A streak turns a goal into a running number, and loss aversion makes breaking that number feel worse than the goal ever felt good, so the behavior can keep going on fear of losing the count long after the original reaso…
The useful part
Just make sure it's working for you.
Sources behind this episode
- peer-reviewed empirical paperModerating Loss Aversion: Loss Aversion Has Moderators, But Reports of its Death are Greatly Exaggerated
- peer-reviewed empirical paperOn or Off Track: How (Broken) Streaks Affect Consumer Decisions
- peer-reviewed empirical paperThe Hidden Cost of Personal Quantification
- review articleCommitment Devices
- foundational theory paperProspect Theory: An Analysis of Decision under Risk
- critical reviewThe Loss of Loss Aversion: Will It Loom Larger Than Its Gain?
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