Books on Behaviour Change
I previously brought up the idea that getting people to become physically active is not as simple as getting them “motivated” or even by giving them the apparently needed time or resources. Below are the books I’ve read (or started reading) that present some non-intuitive ways for one to better create behaviour change in others and/or in oneself. I picked these books because they’ve been highly recommended by multiple sources, and for good reason!
I would love to know about your recommended resources on behaviour change–please share them in the comments below!
Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
The authors cite numerous studies and real-world examples of how the probably of influencing behaviour can be increased through specific methods that appeal to a person’s rational brain and emotional brain. They also discuss a third important factor: Creating an environment that facilitates the desired behaviour. It is clear why the Heath brothers have had multiple best-selling books (which I have yet to read, but intend to): They present the information in a way that is easy to remember by using smart analogies and by triggering mental images.
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
by Robert Cialdini
The author, who is a university professor in psychology, proposes that there are six universal principles in human interactions that affect one’s ability to influence others: reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity. He supports these principles using empirical research as well as through his own anecdotes, including when he went undercover, taking on a job as a salesperson to learn about the sales tactics used by these professionals who rely heavily on their ability to persuade to make a living.
Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade
by Robert Cialdini
This follow-up book builds on the principles of influence from the author’s first best-seller, this time presenting ideas on how prime people for certain behaviours or for being more easily influenced.
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We do in Life and Business
by Charles Duhigg
According to Duhigg, a majority of our behaviours are actually habits, specifically, neurological habit loops which our brains run automatically unless we consciously intervene or something else interrupts the habit loop. This explains why it can be difficult to stop undesirable behaviours (e.g. smoking). He also proposes that to adopt new behaviours on a consistent basis, we can create new habit loops and thus eventually reduce/eliminate the need for relying on willpower.
Motivational Interviewing textbook
by
Okay, so perhaps reading an entire textbook is ambitious; even I have only read the first chapter, which can be downloaded for free here. This chapter does a good job of introducing the Motivational Interviewing approach, which was originally developed for counsellors to use with addictions patients. It presents a key shift in paradigm: That people often have reasons for maintaining the status quo AND for making a change, and that the way someone else (e.g. therapist, parent) discusses the change with them can either hinder or promote the change. Part of this paradigm shift includes the idea that typical ways that one tries to influence another’s behaviour actually has the opposite effect of what’s intended. Think about it: If you’re debating with yourself whether or not to go to the gym when all you want to do is lie down and eat potato chips, and some tells you to “just suck it up and do it”, would you feel more compelled to go, or just whine that you don’t feel like it and you deserve a break after a hard week?
Recent Comments