Habits are predictable and regular responses to cues in our environment. In “The Power of Habit,” Charles Duhigg (2012) described how we develop habits through cue-response-reward loops. For example, we say
“Thank You” (response) when someone holds the door (cue), and we may hear “you’re welcome” or see a smile in return (reward). We read or hear words (responses) based on unique combinations of letters or
sounds (cues), and we receive information (reward). In other words, we develop habits by experiencing antecedents, behaviors, and consequences—the ABCs of behavior.