How to rethink your New Year’s resolutions (according to science)
January 7, 2019 •
Have you ever failed at keeping a New Year’s resolution? You’re joining a sizeable crowd. It’s challenging to make a change in our behavior — but Eric Spangenberg is here to help.
Professor Spangenberg, the dean of UC Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business, is an expert on what is known as the question-behavior effect.
It’s a cognitive phenomenon that has been studied in the fields of business and political science, among others. Spangenberg’s research shows that we are more likely to engage in an activity if we first question whether we will do it.
“Ask yourself, ‘will you?’ Will you exercise? Will you use your health club?” says Spangenberg.
Turning our resolutions into questions can be a surprisingly effective technique for influencing behavior.
To learn more, read the full story and watch the video.
