All behavior change can be summarized in one principle:
What gets rewarded gets reinforced.
This principle is at the heart of the Habit Loop framework, which defines a 4-part process to create consistent behaviors:
Trigger/Cue > Craving > Action/Behavior > Reward
In this behaviorist model, which is based on the work of Ivan Pavlov and Skinnerian conditioning, the reward is the engine that drives repeat behavior.
But this model works only when the reward is
- Immediate
- Tangible
- Reliable
- Desired
Most behaviors that we try to cultivate as consistent “habits” or actions — activities like exercise, eating healthy, reading, practicing a musical instrument or other skills, writing, or making sales calls — often fail to meet one of more of these criteria.
Read: 5 Reasons Why the Habit Loop Framework Fails for Intentional Behavior Change
4 Reward Criteria For Consistent Behavior
Here’s a look at the reward criteria for consistent behavior, and how they can shape our experience.
(1) Immediate (Proximate)
Proximity is power.
Here’s a key principle to remember: Proximity is power.
When we receive a reward for our behavior, our brains produce dopamine, which helps encode learning. The spark of dopamine helps us associate the reward with the action. The more proximate the reward is to the behavior we are trying to cultivate, the more the reward reinforces the behavior.
When the reward is too far removed from the action, the brain doesn’t create the associative conditioning.
For many of the behaviors we want to cultivate consistently, the reward we desire (see below) isn’t immediate or proximate.
For example, your first strength training session won’t make you strong immediately and you’re not going to see huge muscle growth right away.
Making healthy eating choices today might not have an immediate impact on your healthy.
In fact, you may have no reward for a long time before you finally see the fruits of your efforts.
(2) Tangible
A stronger sensory experience of the reward creates stronger conditioning between the behavior and the payoff.
A key component of Pavlov’s experiment was the treats he gave to the dogs. It was something they could eat and experience.
Humans are no different in this respect. The best rewards are “tangible,” which includes any sensory experience, including visible and somatic. It can also include positive feedback, or even gold stars on a chart.
The stronger the sensory experience of the reward we receive from our behavior, the stronger the neuro-associative conditioning becomes, and the easier it is to repeat the behavior.
Exercise culture has conditioned us to believe in “no pain, no gain.” When we don’t “feel the burn” in a workout, we often mistakenly believe it was ineffective, which makes us unlikely to continue.
On the other hand, if running gives you a “runner’s high,” you’ll be eager to run again tomorrow.
Eating healthy food may result in better long-term health, but that’s a reward that’s not tangible (it’s also not proximate/immediate).
On the other hand, if you enjoy the experience of eating your healthy meal, and feel good in your body after you eat it, you’re more likely to make a healthy choice next time.
(3) Reliable (Predictable)
Consistency of reward breeds trust in the behavior, which leads to consistency in the behavior.
One of the overlooked flaws of traditional habits frameworks is that the habit loop works only when the nervous system is regulated.
Our systems are wired to seek safety and stability first.
We are more likely to repeat a behavior when our nervous system feels safer and more regulated as a result of the behavior. One of the factors that contributes to this safety and regulation is reliability of the reward.
When we can accurately predict the reward, we build trust in the behavior. And consistency comes from trust.
The challenge is that many of the behaviors we desire to cultivate produce inconsistent rewards.
For example, a workout can leave you feeling energized, focused, and confident — a good reward. But sometimes a workout can leave you in physical pain, fatigue, or frustration.
A sales call can result in a closed sale, but can also lead to a rejection — which lands particularly hard for people with ADHD.
This unpredictability is called variable reinforcement. It can create compulsions, like with gambling or addictive phone behavior, but it also destroys trust-based behaviors.
When the reward is inconsistent, your nervous system doesn’t learn “this is safe and rewarding.” It learns “this behavior is unpredictable.”
That creates a trust problem.
(4) Desired (Meaningful)
In order to influence someone, you must know what influences them.
This one is so obvious that it should go without saying, but it’s often overlooked.
The reward can only drive repetition of behavior if it’s a reward that you desire.
A reward can be immediate, reliable, and tangible and still fail to reinforce the behavior because it’s not a reward that you care about.
The reward must be meaningful to you, relevant to your outcomes, and something you actually care about.
If you’re not emotionally invested in the reward, the loop has no fuel.
One of the most common reasons we fail to sustain consistency in our desired actions is that we set ourselves up to chase rewards that we don’t actually want or care about.
A fundamental principle to apply here is that the most effective way to influence someone is to know what influences them. That includes yourself.
Many of us were conditioned to believe that we should want certain rewards in life: external validation from certain people, status, outcomes that matter to others.
But when those rewards arrive, they fall flat and fail to reinforce the desired behavior.
The nervous system doesn’t mobilize for “should.” For the loop to work, you must chase a reward that you desire.
Love it? Hate it? What do you think? Don't hold back...