Have you ever tried to break a bad habit, only to find yourself falling back into old patterns? You're not alone. In fact, there are many common misconceptions about how behavior change actually works. The TEDx talk by sociology professor Jeni …
Have you ever tried to break a bad habit, only to find yourself falling back into old patterns? You're not alone. In fact, there are many common misconceptions about how behavior change actually works. The TEDx talk by sociology professor Jeni Cross, “Three Myths of Behaviour Change - What You think you know that you don’t”debunks three of the most persistent myths. Here they are:
**Myth #1: Education leads to behavior change.**
We often think that if we just give people enough information, they'll make the right choices. But as Cross points out in her video,this is simply not true. Studies have shown that simply providing information is often ineffective in changing behavior.
For example, one study found that only 20% of people who were given information about the amount of energy they could save by weatherstripping their homes actually took action. However, when the information was framed in a more relatable way (e.g., by telling people that the gaps around their doors and windows were as big as a basketball), 60% of people weatherstripped their homes. This suggests that **how we present information** can make a big difference in how effective it is.
**Myth #2: You need to change attitudes to change behavior.**
Another common misconception is that we need to change people's attitudes before they can change their behavior. But according to Cross, attitudes actually follow behavior, not the other way around. So, instead of trying to instil attitudes of, for example, energy conservation, it's more effective to set **clear behavioral expectations with small, effortless actions. That’s why I subscribe to Wu Wei, the ancient Chinese philosophy of effortless action. To learn more about how small actions can lead to big changes, read the books Atomic Habits and Tiny Habits by different authors tackling the same subject.
For example, Cross cited how a campaign that encouraged people to turn off lights when leaving a room by sticking little reminders above every lig..
