How to use the Intermittent Reward Theory to Cement a Habit
Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:37 am
http://www.oliverburkeman.com/2011/04/t ... -for-good/
tl;dr version: Give a reward at predictable intervals, and you'll lose interest in the behavior. Never give a reward, and you'll lose interest faster. Give a reward at unpredictable intervals and you'll be interested and emotionally charged.
Lots of our BAD habits and bad situations rest on this (abusive relationships, gambling... several other things), but you can kludge the system to use addictive properties of intermittent reward to change habits and achieve goals.
tl;dr version: Give a reward at predictable intervals, and you'll lose interest in the behavior. Never give a reward, and you'll lose interest faster. Give a reward at unpredictable intervals and you'll be interested and emotionally charged.
Lots of our BAD habits and bad situations rest on this (abusive relationships, gambling... several other things), but you can kludge the system to use addictive properties of intermittent reward to change habits and achieve goals.