Special Interest Groups

‘Habit’ refers to a psychological process whereby, on encountering a situational cue, a person is automatically triggered to engage in a behaviour that they have grown to associate with that cue, through a history of cue-consistent repetition.

This special interest group (SIG) speaks to a common interest among EHPS members in the concept of habit and how it can be developed and applied to understand and change health behaviour. The group arose from a Synergy session at the 2019 European Health Psychology Society Conference in Croatia and became an official SIG in 2020. The group is administered via a mailing list and a Twitter/X account (@ehpshabit).

To provide a structure that connects health psychology researchers interested in habitual behaviour and surrounding issues (definition, measurement, theory, application)

To provide a forum for generating, exchanging and debating new ideas and questions, as well as advertising relevant publications, events and endeavours that others might be interested in

To be a source of support and expertise for other researchers less involved in the habit area to ask questions and receive expert responses

The SIG is co-led by Drs Benjamin Gardner and Phillippa Lally (both at University of Surrey, UK).

The SIG meets at least twice a year – once at the EHPS conference, and once virtually. Communication among SIG members occurs through the year, via a mailing list and Twitter/X account.

To join the SIG mailing list, please email Dr Benjamin Gardner at benjamin.gardner@surrey.ac.uk. Follow us on Twitter/X at @ehpshabit.