Fact · Dictation
96volunteers
In a 2010 study, 96 volunteers each chose one behavior and repeated it daily in the same context for 12 weeks.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“96 volunteers chose an eating, drinking or activity behaviour to carry out daily in the same context”
How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world, Phillippa Lally et al., European Journal of Social Psychology, 2010, Abstract.
Open the original (DOI 10.1002/ejsp.674)- What it measures
- Field study, not a laboratory test. Volunteers picked a health-related or everyday behavior and tied it to a cue such as 'after breakfast'. They completed a daily habit questionnaire for the whole period.
- What it does not show
- The behaviors were eating, drinking and simple activities, not dictation or typing. Most participants were students and volunteers.