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Theories Behind Habits On The Brain Reacts And Performs Tasks Without Much Thought

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Subconscious practices in which the brain reacts and performs tasks without much thought is the clear definition of a habit. Each of us develops various habits throughout our life and it is the subconscious acts we incorporate into daily life over time, often due to their effectiveness at accomplishing particular tasks. While a habit is not categorized as positive or negative, it is the harmful actions that should be altered to ensure a more productive life. Charles Duhigg explains the theories behind habits in The Power of Habit and how we form them in order to save us from the trite tasks of everyday life. Due to constant methods of performing tasks or simple urges our brain connects the three factors cue, routine, and reward, to…show more content…
This maze was run a few times, then something happened, after the click, the rat ran down and turned right, immediately finding the cheese. Positive reinforcement of finding the cheese created a habit for the rat. The rat’s ability to recognize the path to the cheese was a sign of how the brain stimulation affects behavioral patterns. As soon as the “click” was heard and “as each rat learned how to navigate the maze, its mental activity decreased” (15). The scientists believed the “click” of the door was the cue, running the maze was the routine, and the reward being the cheese. Interestingly, humans (and many animals) are conditioned by the cues, routines and perceived rewards, therefore receiving positive benefits or feelings provide a strong stimulant to repeat any behavior. In the same fashion, the reward of cheese resembles the habit of removing my shoes whenever possible was formed, as this is a routine I developed over time and my brain recognized a sense of pleasure. The clicking of the door opening for the rat relates to my desire to being in an environment in which shoes are not required, therefore this is the cue that was created. My routine involves releasing my feet from the binding shoes that prohibited a sense of comfort and freedom, whereby given any chance to free myself of this restrictiveness I was much like the rat running through the maze
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