Test 2 · Part 4: How Habits Are Formed

In today's lecture, we're going to examine how habits are formed and why they're so difficult to break.

在今天的課堂上，我們要探討習慣是如何養成的，以及為什麼習慣這麼難以改掉。

Psychologists estimate that around forty percent of our daily actions are performed out of habit.

心理學家估計，我們日常行為中大約有百分之四十是出於習慣。

A habit is essentially a behavior that has become automatic through repetition in a stable context.

習慣基本上就是在穩定的情境中，經由重複而變得自動化的行為。

Researchers often describe this process as a loop consisting of three distinct stages.

研究人員常把這個過程描述成由三個不同階段組成的循環。

First, there is a cue, which is a trigger that tells the brain to begin the behavior.

首先是提示，也就是告訴大腦開始這個行為的觸發因素。

This is followed by the routine itself, which can be physical, mental or emotional.

接著是例行行為本身，可以是身體上的、心理上的或情緒上的。

The final stage is the reward, which helps the brain decide whether the loop is worth remembering.

最後一個階段是獎勵，它幫助大腦判斷這個循環是否值得記住。

Over time, the brain begins to anticipate the reward as soon as it detects the cue.

久而久之，大腦一偵測到提示，就會開始預期獎勵。

This anticipation is linked to the release of dopamine, a chemical associated with motivation.

這種預期與多巴胺的釋放有關，多巴胺是一種與動機相關的化學物質。

That explains why a habit can persist long after the original reward has lost its appeal.

這就解釋了為什麼在最初的獎勵失去吸引力很久之後，習慣仍然可以持續。

So how long does it actually take to establish a new habit?

那麼，養成一個新習慣實際上需要多久時間？

A frequently quoted figure is twenty-one days, but this has little scientific basis.

常被引用的數字是二十一天，但這幾乎沒有科學根據。

A study in London found that the average was closer to sixty-six days.

倫敦的一項研究發現，平均時間更接近六十六天。

Moreover, the time required varied enormously, from eighteen days to well over eight months.

此外，所需時間差異極大，從十八天到遠超過八個月都有。

Simpler behaviors, such as drinking a glass of water at breakfast, became automatic much faster.

比較簡單的行為，例如早餐時喝一杯水，變成自動化的速度快得多。

The researchers also found that missing a single day had little effect on long-term success.

研究人員還發現，漏掉一天對長期成功幾乎沒有影響。

This is encouraging for anyone who has abandoned a plan after one small failure.

對於任何因為一次小小的失敗就放棄計畫的人來說，這都是令人振奮的消息。

When it comes to breaking bad habits, relying on willpower alone tends to be ineffective.

說到改掉壞習慣，光靠意志力往往是沒有效的。

A more successful strategy is to keep the same cue and reward but replace the routine.

更成功的策略是保留相同的提示和獎勵，只替換例行行為。

Next week, we'll consider how these principles are applied in public health campaigns.

下週，我們將探討這些原則如何應用在公共衛生宣導活動中。