What Makes Habits Stick?
Explore how cues, rewards, and everyday surroundings shape habits—and discover practical ways to make change last.
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Questions with solutions-
1. پاسخ درست را انتخاب کنید.
What is the cue that starts Lina's routine?
Lina wants to move more. Whenever her kettle starts boiling, she stretches for a minute. She usually feels more awake afterward.
- The kettle starting to boil.
- Stretching for a minute.
- Feeling more awake afterward.
- Her general wish to move more.
Look for the event immediately before the action.
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- The kettle starting to boil.
A cue is a signal that starts a routine. An everyday event can serve as a reminder without an alarm.
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2. پاسخ درست را انتخاب کنید.
How is repetition affecting Evan's action?
At first, Evan had to remind himself to pack his lunch. After doing it every morning for a while, he often starts without a reminder.
- It is becoming more dependent on daily motivation.
- It is taking more attention each time.
- It is becoming easier to start without a deliberate decision.
- It is becoming less connected to his morning routine.
Compare how much conscious effort he needed at the beginning and now.
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- It is becoming easier to start without a deliberate decision.
Repeated actions can become more automatic. That does not mean they become impossible to change.
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3. پاسخ درست را انتخاب کنید.
Which setup adds the most effort to a quick phone check?
Ben keeps checking his phone while working at his desk. He wants to make this distracting action less convenient.
- Keeping the phone face down beside his keyboard.
- Leaving the phone in a drawer in another room.
- Placing the phone on a stand beside his monitor.
- Keeping the phone in his pocket while he works.
Consider which setup would require him to leave his desk.
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- Leaving the phone in a drawer in another room.
Extra effort creates friction. Changing the surroundings can reduce the need to resist a distraction repeatedly.
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4. پاسخ درست را انتخاب کنید.
How can the comic break support Jo's study routine?
After each short study session, Jo spends a few minutes enjoying a favorite comic. She looks forward to this break.
- It directly increases the amount of material she studies.
- It makes the study material familiar before she begins.
- It removes the effort involved in learning difficult material.
- It adds an enjoyable ending that she wants to experience again.
Think about what she enjoys after completing the action.
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- It adds an enjoyable ending that she wants to experience again.
A satisfying consequence can encourage repetition, especially when the main benefits of an activity take longer to appear.
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5. پاسخ درست را انتخاب کنید.
Which plan gives Sara a clear cue to act?
Sara wants to read more, but the goal keeps slipping her mind. She decides to connect reading to something she already does each evening.
- After I finish dinner, I will read two pages on the couch.
- I will remember that reading is important to me.
- I will read more whenever I feel inspired.
- I will aim to become a regular reader this year.
A useful plan identifies both a situation and an action.
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- After I finish dinner, I will read two pages on the couch.
A specific when-and-where plan turns a broad intention into an action that is easier to recognize and begin.
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6. پاسخ درست را انتخاب کنید.
Why might a smaller starting goal help Marcus?
Marcus wants to walk for 45 minutes every evening, but he often skips the walk because he feels too busy. He considers starting with five minutes instead.
- A shorter walk provides exactly the same exercise benefits.
- A shorter walk guarantees that he will eventually walk longer.
- A shorter walk is easier to fit into days when time is limited.
- A shorter walk makes regular repetition less important.
His main barrier is finding enough time to begin.
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- A shorter walk is easier to fit into days when time is limited.
Starting small lowers the barrier to getting started. He can build on it later without treating a longer walk as a requirement.
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7. پاسخ درست را انتخاب کنید.
What does the arrangement add that reminders alone do not?
Priya often ignores reminders to take a lunchtime walk. Now she meets a coworker outside twice a week, and they let each other know if they cannot come.
- A way to avoid deciding when the walk will end.
- A shared commitment in which someone is expecting her.
- A reason to increase the distance on every walk.
- A method for making the walking route more familiar.
Consider how another person's participation changes the situation.
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- A shared commitment in which someone is expecting her.
Supportive accountability can make following through easier. The benefit comes from the shared commitment, not from pressure or blame.
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8. پاسخ درست را انتخاب کنید.
Which response best supports Alex's goal of continuing?
Alex has practiced guitar regularly for several weeks. A family emergency causes him to miss one session, and he worries that all his progress is lost.
- Wait until his schedule is completely predictable before restarting.
- Double every future session to make up for the missed practice.
- Abandon the routine because the uninterrupted streak has ended.
- Resume at the next usual time without treating the lapse as a failure.
Separate one missed occasion from the overall pattern.
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- Resume at the next usual time without treating the lapse as a failure.
A single lapse does not erase earlier learning. Returning to the routine matters more than maintaining a perfect streak.
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9. پاسخ درست را انتخاب کنید.
Which statement reflects a realistic expectation?
An advertisement claims that every new habit becomes automatic after exactly 21 days. Two friends try very different routines and find that their progress does not follow the same schedule.
- The time needed can vary with the person, behavior, and circumstances.
- The same deadline applies if both friends try equally hard.
- The number of repetitions alone determines an exact finish date.
- Any routine that still requires effort after 21 days cannot become a habit.
Consider whether very different actions should share one fixed deadline.
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- The time needed can vary with the person, behavior, and circumstances.
Habit formation has no universal deadline. More complex behaviors and less frequent opportunities can require a different pace.
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10. پاسخ درست را انتخاب کنید.
What is the most likely explanation for the change?
At home, Mei puts her keys in a bowl beside the door without thinking. While staying in a rental apartment with a different entrance, she repeatedly leaves them in unexpected places.
- She has lost the general ability to remember where objects belong.
- Her home routine was mainly caused by a stronger wish to stay organized.
- The new surroundings do not provide the familiar signals for her routine.
- Her keys have become harder to notice because she uses them more often.
What changed besides the location of the keys?
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- The new surroundings do not provide the familiar signals for her routine.
Habits can depend on their setting. A change of surroundings may interrupt a useful routine—or create an opportunity to change an unwanted one.
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11. پاسخ درست را انتخاب کنید.
Which replacement best addresses the reason Diego scrolls?
Diego scrolls through social media after finishing difficult work because he wants a brief mental break. He wants to reduce scrolling while still getting a break before his next task.
- Start the next difficult task immediately whenever the urge appears.
- Step away from the screen and take a short, relaxing walk.
- Use a different social media app for the same break.
- Keep the app open and rely on resisting it while continuing to work.
The replacement should preserve the useful function without preserving the unwanted behavior.
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- Step away from the screen and take a short, relaxing walk.
An unwanted routine may meet a real need. A replacement is more practical when it offers another way to meet that need.
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12. پاسخ درست را انتخاب کنید.
Why is sleep quality alone a poor measure of Nia's consistency?
Nia is building a routine of putting her phone away at 10 p.m. to support better sleep. She follows the routine for a week, but noisy neighbors keep her awake on several nights.
- Poor sleep shows that she did not actually put her phone away.
- Following a routine means its intended benefit must appear immediately.
- A routine is only repeated successfully on nights when sleep improves.
- Sleep depends on other factors as well as the behavior she is practicing.
Distinguish the action she controls from the result she hopes for.
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- Sleep depends on other factors as well as the behavior she is practicing.
Tracking the target action helps separate consistency from outcomes. A useful routine can be followed even when outside factors affect its benefits.