Constructing Behavior (The Behavioral Design Framework)

It seems like everyone is trying to mess with your brain these days. There are all these fancy terms like Gamification, Quantified Self, Persuasive Technology, Neuromarketing, and more that are used to try and get people to do certain things. They want to change your habits so that you keep doing them forever.

So, here's the deal: There are a ton of ways out there that people say can help you change your behavior. It can get pretty overwhelming trying to figure out what works. Some people swear by earning rewards like badges or leveling up to help them lose weight, but that might not work for everyone. Others think that setting strict goals and objectives is the key to success, but that's not always the case either. This article is here to help you figure out which method might work best for you when it comes to changing your behavior.

The Perfect Equipment for the Task

I made a cool chart to help us understand different habits better and how they work in real life. The chart puts habits into four groups based on how much control we need and if they're things we do or stop doing. It's like sorting habits into categories to make it easier to understand.


In this matrix, the behaviors on the top row have beneficial effects and people generally want to increase them. Meanwhile, addictions tend to control people’s lives and they generally want to rid themselves of these automatic behaviors. Habitué behaviors can go both ways and depending on the specific behavior, can either be detrimental or beneficial.

Which behaviors do you intend to change?

So, like, if you want to change how you or someone else acts, you can use this thing called the Behavior Change Matrix. First, figure out what kind of behavior it is - like, is it a habit or something else? Then, you can look up ways to either make that behavior happen more or stop it from happening. It’s important to use the right techniques so you don’t get all annoyed and give up. Check out the different behavior types and resources to help you out!

Amateur

An amateur is someone who just naturally does things they enjoy without having to force themselves. Amateur habits are just the things most people do every day without even thinking about it. Like brushing your teeth, going for a walk in the morning, or taking your vitamins. These are all things that can easily become part of your daily routine without needing to push yourself to do them.

When you're trying to start a new habit, it usually goes like this: something outside of you reminds you to do the thing you want to do. It could be an alarm, a note, or even something like putting your dental floss in a spot where you'll see it. If you want to do the thing and you're able to, you go ahead and do it. You keep doing it over and over until you don't need the reminder anymore and it just becomes something you do without even thinking about it.

When we're just starting, we usually act like amateurs. This is normal and is actually how we begin forming new habits. These amateur behaviors can turn into expert skills, where we do things automatically and well. But sometimes, if we're not careful, these amateur behaviors can also lead to bad habits. For example, someone who doesn't know much about computers might start as an amateur, but with practice, they can become an expert. However, they could also develop harmful habits like spending too much time gaming or on the Internet. It's important to be aware of how our behaviors can change over time and make sure we're developing good habits, not bad ones.

Expert

Becoming an expert means getting good at something to the point where you can do it without even thinking about it. People like tennis pros, chess masters, computer whizzes, and skilled doctors have this ability. To become an expert, you have to practice a lot for a long time and always try to do better. You have to set specific goals and work hard to reach them. Moving from being a beginner to an expert usually needs some outside help, like teachers, deadlines, competitions, coaches, or bosses. It's not easy to train your body and mind to react automatically, so having support from others is important.

Addict

When someone is addicted to something, they will do whatever it takes to satisfy their strong cravings. Addicts might do things that hurt themselves just to get what they want. Addiction is when your brain gets hooked on something and it's really hard to stop wanting it. Scientists have found that addiction can make your brain super stressed out when you don't have what you're craving. So, you might feel like you have to keep doing the thing you're addicted to just to feel better and get rid of that stress.

It's really sad that when it comes to addiction, our brains are kind of wired to keep chasing after things that we think will make us happy. But the thing is, we never really feel satisfied when we get them. Instead, our brains just keep pushing us to keep looking for that next high or reward, even if it means causing a lot of problems along the way. It's like our brains are tricking us into thinking we'll be happy if we just keep chasing after that feeling, but it never really comes.

Habitué

Just like how someone addicted to something has a habit of automatically turning to it to feel better, a habitué is also someone who does the same thing to ease their pain. Both the addict and the habitué are trying to find relief from their strong desires that cause them stress.

But unlike someone addicted to something, a habitué doesn't need as much willpower to stop their automatic behavior. For instance, most of us can say no to a craving for chocolate cake, even though it's tough. But for someone addicted to heroin, saying no to a craving for a hit can feel almost impossible.

When trying to break bad habits, we need to use tricks that will make our willpower stronger so we can find peace even when we're feeling uncomfortable from not giving in to our cravings. Designers who work on changing behavior should use techniques that have been shown to help us handle pain better.

Adapting Behaviors in the Correct Manner

Have you ever tried to change your behavior or help someone else change theirs, but nothing seems to work? Well, now there's a new way to understand why we do the things we do and how to change them. The Behavior Change Matrix breaks down our automatic behaviors into four different categories. By using this system, you can figure out which techniques will work best for you or your friends when trying to make a change. It's like having a secret code to unlock the key to behavior change success!