The Information Action Fallacy: How to Define a Prompt

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The information action fallacy illustrates that providing information alone may not lead to behavior change; rather, prompts play a crucial role in triggering action. A prompt is defined as any stimulus that encourages immediate action, such as a phone ringing, a question posed, or even internal signals like hunger. Recognizing and designing effective prompts can significantly influence desired behaviors. Conversely, to reduce unwanted behaviors, minimizing or eliminating certain prompts is essential. The model of behavior change can be encapsulated in the equation B = MAP, where behavior (B) is a function of motivation (M), ability (A), and prompts (P). This model provides a versatile framework for understanding and facilitating behavior change across various contexts.

Whether you want to read more books or exercise more regularly, BJ Fogg has good news. “Habits are easier to form than most people think,” he says, “If you do it in the right way.”

As the founder and director of Stanford's Behavior Design Lab, Fogg has devoted much of his career to researching human psychology, motivation, and behavior. According to him, habit formation isn’t a product of simply doing something over and over again. “It's not a function of repetition,” he says, “it's a function of emotion.”

As Fogg discusses with host Matt Abrahams in this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, bringing our behavior in line with our goals is easier than we think — we just have to know the emotional levers to pull.

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