Chapter 28: Further Reading

Essential Sources

Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, C. H. M., Potts, H. W. W., & Wardle, J. (2010). "How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world." European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), 998–1009. The study debunking the 21-day myth.

Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006). "Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta-analysis." Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 69–119. Meta-analysis showing d = 0.65 for implementation intentions.

Clear, J. (2018). Atomic Habits. Avery. One of the better self-help books on habits. Read with the caveats from this chapter.

Duhigg, C. (2012). The Power of Habit. Random House. Introduced the habit loop to popular culture. Read critically.

Wood, W. (2019). Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes That Stick. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. A research psychologist's evidence-based book on habits — more academically grounded than Clear or Duhigg.

Milkman, K. (2021). How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. Portfolio. Evidence-based behavior change strategies from a leading behavioral scientist.