For my Inquiry Project, I have decided to research the science behind habits.  Although I have taken a few psychology classes in high school, habit formation was never one of the concepts that was explored in depth. Through this project, I am hoping to learn more about this topic and apply this information to my own life by identifying some of my own negative habits (e.g those affecting my personal health or time management skills) and creating an action plan to change them in a positive way.

Some of my starting questions are:

  • What is the definition of a habit? How long does it take to develop one?
  • What is the difference between a habit and addiction? How do you recognize the difference?
  • How does the reward system in the brain affect how habits are developed? Is it possible to break a bad habit? Are there types of habits that are easier to change than others?
  • How has technology influenced people’s sleeping habits and the reward system in the brain? Is this change possible to reverse?

To begin my inquiry project, I will conduct research online (through scholarly articles, health web pages and YouTube videos) to find answers to my questions above. I will demonstrate my learning by curating these information sources, and summarizing and reflecting my learning from them through written word, audio, and graphs/charts. After I have expanded on my understanding of my topic, I will create a plan and attempt to adjust one or more of my habits by tracking my progress each week.