Habitual instigation and habitual execution: Definition, measurement, and effects on behaviour frequency.

Further, experimental work is needed to separate the impact of the two habit manifestations more rigorously. Nonetheless, findings qualify calls for habit-based interventions by suggesting that behaviour maintenance may be better served by habitual instigation and that disrupting habitual behaviour may depend on overriding habits of instigation. Greater precision of measurement may help to minimize confusion between habitual instigation and execution. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Habit is often used to understand, explain, and change health behaviour. Making behaviour habitual has been proposed as a means of maintaining behaviour change. Concerns have been raised about the extent to which health behaviour can be habitual. What does this study add? A conceptual and empirical rationale for discerning habitually instigated and habitually executed behaviour. Results show habit-behaviour effects are mostly attributable to habitual instigation, not execution. The most common habit measure, the Self-Report Habit Index, measures habitual instigation, not execution.