I’ve been reading a bit more along the line of this “habits” craze. Here’s what I think. Would love to get feedback:
As I mentioned in a previous post, this “Habits” stuff is basically Bmod warmed over/re-marketed. The new way of talking about this is that “cues” or “triggers” that have led to behavioral routines (Habits) which have been rewarded in the past tend to be repeated. Well, we’ve known that for years. So to make it unique/up-to-date, the authors throw in a little mention of dopamine. What they’re saying is that after you do the habit many times, dopamine is released no longer at the END of a behavior but rather during the time that we are ANTICIPATING a reward (just after the cue). This dopamine release creates, these authors say, a CRAVING that can only be resolved by carrying out the habit (i.e., previously rewarded behavioral routine). So again, sounds like traditional behaviorism with new terms and a dollop of “brain science” to make it look up-to-date (and we know that even the term “brain science” impresses people). So even if they’re right about the role and timing of dopamine in all this, you could, it seems to me, say, “So what?”. Knowing about the role of dopamine, while interesting, doesn’t change how behavior mod techniques are carried out - does it? Michael Michael A. Britt, Ph.D. http://www.ThePsychFiles.com https://www.facebook.com/groups/thepsychfiles/ Twitter: mbritt --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=47613 or send a blank email to leave-47613-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
