Senior High School

An Inquisitive Study on the Formation of Habits of Grade 11 Students of Maria Montessori

International School with Basis on Selected Psychological Theories

Submitted by:

Cayron, Anne Hailey S.

Penales, Angelica May R.

Sagales, Kiara Beatriz V.

Acknowledgment

This research was supported/partially supported by [Name of Foundation, Grant maker,

Donor]. We thank our colleagues from [Name of the supporting institution] who provided insight

and expertise that greatly assisted the research, although they may not agree with all of the

interpretations/conclusions of this paper.

We thank [Name Surname, title] for assistance with [particular technique, methodology], and

[Name Surname, position, institution name] for comments that greatly improved the manuscript.

We would also like to show our gratitude to the (Name Surname, title, institution) for sharing

their pearls of wisdom with us during the course of this research, and we thank 3 “anonymous”

reviewers for their so-called insights. We are also immensely grateful to (List names and

positions) for their comments on an earlier version of the manuscript, although any errors are our

own and should not tarnish the reputations of these esteemed persons.
Abstract

This study was conducted to gain a better understanding of the formation of habits among

the Senior High School (SHS) students with a basis in Skinner’s operant conditioning in Maria

Montessori International School during the academic year 2018-2019. There were twenty (20)

informants composed of Grade 11 students. The data was gathered using the researcher-made

questionnaire that looked into how the students define habits, what habits they have, and how

they think these habits were formed. It was found out that most students, while able to provide a

definition of what a habit is, do not have a solid idea of what specific behaviors constitute a

habit; it should be noted, however, that they at least understand that habits tend to be picked up

unconsciously. Based on the findings of the study, the students are expected to have a better

understanding of the formation of habits and what behaviors qualify as a habit.

 Chapter 1

The Problem and its Scope

The Rationale of the Study

A large part of human life is made up of habits (James, 1899). As such, the human race is well

known for having a wide collection of habits. They will always have the predisposition to do

specific actions in a recurring manner, and always within the same context. These habits will

always be something that people will fall into, because of the simplicity that these actions have

taken on over the course of time (Wood & Rünger, 2016). There are many different examples of

habits that can be found among many different people. Such habits include playing with hair,

picking at nails, chain-smoking cigarettes, and peppering speech with words like “um” and

“like” to fill in the gaps between statements (Psychology Today, 2019).

An example would be a morning routine of a man- there would be certain things that he

would go about doing without necessarily putting much thought into them. He would go into the

shower and in the shower, he can already find everything that he needs without having to

actively look for them- he has gone through this routine long enough to know the exact place of

everything. Following the shower, he would dry himself, put on clothes, and brush his teeth; he

does not have to remind himself to do these things, because it has already been ingrained in his

mind in a way that is reflexive. The man has no need to set any given reminder to do these

simple tasks because, over the course of a long period of time, these tasks have become

compulsory due to the repetitiveness of these tasks. After the man does these things, he would

then go about preparing his breakfast, making coffee, reading the morning paper, etc. Of course,
he would have no need to write a to-do list beforehand to tell himself that he needs to do these

things- there is no need for it, because the cues needed to do these tasks are already drilled into

his mind. Such are habits, acquired behaviors that have, over time, become involuntary.

It should be noted that, within the common understanding, habits are not quite properly

understood and the context behind these habits are not put into much consideration. Outside of

academic circles that would actively study habits and the formation of them, people would

normally think of habits as something that is done on purpose, especially when the person who

exhibits such habits is someone that they are not necessarily familiar with. In reality, this is not

the case, as habits, more often than not, are unconscious behaviors, leading to misconceptions in

a person’s actions and behavior (Wood & Rünger, 2016). Such misconceptions can lead to an

undue judgment of a person’s actions due to the lack of any given context that a simple

interaction between to people can give. It would follow, then, that having more context and

understanding of certain behaviors and tics that a person may have would lessen any form of

undue judgment that may be imparted.

The researchers are looking to have an in-depth analysis of habits, how they work, and

the circumstances that bring about the formation of these habits. While generally, it would make

sense for the researchers to go about classifying habits as “good habits” or “bad habits”, that is

not the goal of this research. As was previously stated, the researchers intend to only have a

deeper understanding of the formation of habits, without necessarily questioning the morality

behind such habits. To classify habits as “good” or “bad”, then, would be a whole different study

in and of itself. A study of the morals would then be put in place if that were the case. Therefore,
this research is being conducted only to provide context on habits, without labeling them as

either good or bad, just habits in a general sense.

Theoretical Framework

A habit can be described as a mode of behavior that has been done repeatedly over a

certain period of time, to the point that it has become reflexive and automatic in nature

(Merriam-Webster, 2019). The goal of this study is to have an in-depth understanding of habits

and how they form; this study, then, is anchored on B.F Skinner’s theory of operant conditioning

(1937).

Skinner’s operant conditioning (Staddon & Cerutti, 2003)

A. States that behavior is “controlled” by consequences and is the study of

reversible behavior that is maintained by reinforcement schedules.

1. Reinforcement schedule- delivering a reinforcer to an organism

according to a well-defined rule. For example, delivering a piece of food

to a rat or to a pigeon to reinforce either the pressing or pecking of a lever.

2. There have been instances wherein reinforcement schedules were tested

on humans, producing similar results as with rats or pigeons.

3. However, due to ethical reasons, the use of weak reinforcers (i.e, not

having to withhold food) was put in place instead and the active testing of

such reinforcement is not commonly tested on humans.

B. Has a basis on “instrumental learning”, which is commonly known as a

“habit”.

C. A well-trained operant, therefore, becomes a habit.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to analyze the formation of habits in order to provide context to these habits

that can be found among the Grade 11 students in Maria Montessori International School.

Specifically, it aims to answer the following questions:

1. What is a habit?

2. What habits do the students have?

3. What are the factors that contribute to the formation of these habits?
The Significance of the Study

This study aims to provide a deeper insight into the formation of habits. More specifically, this

study is done for the benefit of the following:

Students. This study can be used by students so they can have further insight on what

habits they may have and which particular habits they have that they may not have put

much thought into and the habits of their fellow classmates.

Teachers. For teachers, this study can aid them in the classroom setting, wherein they will

be able to also assess the habits of their students and the context behind them.

Parents. In the household, parents can use this research as a reference to improve upon

their parenting strategies, as this research aids them in understanding how certain habits

and the particular circumstances that bring rise to these habits.

Future researchers. This research can be utilized as a part of a future researcher’s own

studies, such as a basis for their own theoretical framework or their review of related

literature.
Review of the Related Literature
The formation of habits is an important part of behavior change interventions (Stawarz, et al.

2015). For such interventions to have long-term effects, it would first need to solidify into a

habit. In a world that is growing more and more digital with the passing years, it would then

make sense to design smartphone apps that support behavior changes; apps would have the

potential to aid in sustaining healthy behavior. However, designers would need to understand the

mechanics of behavior changes in order for such apps to actually take effect. Two studies were

then conducted: a 4-week study that explores the impact of different social cues and positive

reinforcement on the development of habit formation and a functionality review of 115 different

apps that support habit developments. It was found that such apps focus more on the use of

tracking, self-monitoring, and social support to aid in the formation of habits; it should be known

that the reliance on reminders only encourages repetition, which only creates a weak foundation

for the formation of habits. There is also a lack of theoretical grounding in the development of

these apps; in the instances where there is an academic basis, there is more focus on motivation

than anything else. Lastly, these apps have not been evaluated by academic researchers and

therefore, the validity of these apps are not clear. For a habit to properly solidify would require

the use of positive reinforcement and trigger events that come about from social-based cues,

which a smartphone app cannot provide.

In a modification of the discounted utility (DU) model, it looks into the concepts of habit

formation and satiation. It states that present consumption will always influence future

consumption in two ways: the first one being that it could create satiation, thereby reducing

satisfaction from future consumption, i.e., satisfaction decreases over time; the second one states

that present consumption has a contribution towards the formation of new habits. The difference
that this model has in comparison to that of the original model is that the original model states

that past consumption does not have an influence on future consumption (Baucells & Sarin,

2010). This model explains the reason why people have a tendency to buy more when they are

hungry. For there to be a willingness to pay, there would have to be a nontrivial pattern of

desirability; the effect of abstaining from consumption is known as craving.

The regular washing of hands with the use of soap is believed to have a substantial effect

on a child’s health, especially in the developing world; bacterial and viral contamination results

in the deaths of 3 million children, stunting the growth of millions more. However, most ad

campaigns that encourage regular washing of hands are not effective in the delivery of their

message (Hussam et al. 2017). In a randomized field experiment that is aimed to test the main

prediction of the rational addiction model. This is done through the development of novel soap

dispensers that measure the washing of hands, which is randomly distributed. Through this, the

monitoring and incentives substantially increase the washing of hands. Following the removal of

monitoring and incentives, the effects of the washing of hands still persist. It follows then, that

the anticipation of monitoring significantly increases the habit of washing of hands.

In an experiment conducted on 32 male rats, the researchers sought to determine whether or

not the exposure to amphetamine would enhance the formation of habits. It posits that behavior

is controlled by stimulus-response habits (Nelson, A. 2006), which are no longer goal-directed.

In the first and second experiments, it focuses on behavioral training, wherein the rats were

trained in two tasks- magazine training (collecting of food rewards) and lever-press training-

success in the following of these tasks would result in a reward, which, in this case, would be the

amphetamine. In the first experiment, the rats were placed within the controlled area, wherein
they were sensitized to the drug prior to the beginning of the tasks; in the second experiment, the

rats were sensitized in between training and testing. The result of the first experiment shows that

the rats who were sensitized to the amphetamine prior to the testing were not as goal-directed as

what was intended and it failed to alter their performances; the result in the second experiment

shows that the rats who were only sensitized to the amphetamine following the completion of the

testing retained their more goal-driven tendencies, which shows that while the exposure to

amphetamine can disrupt their drive, it does not disrupt their goal-directed actions.

The proposed preference conditioning theory, referred to as shifted difference

independence, seeks to axiomatize a more general model of habit formation and a satiation

model (GHS). This proposed model allows for a more general habit formation, while also

showing a significant focus on satiation (He et al. 2013), which prior studies tend to neglect for

habit formation. The theory also provides approaches that axiomatize both the GSA model and

the GHA model, while adding extra preference conditions: the GHS model can be obtained by

way of the linear habit formation function and the recursively defined linear satiation function.
Research Methodology

A habit is settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up. The

attitude of a person is greatly affected by their habits. Habit formation is an important part of

behavior change intercedes: to ensure that interpose has long-term effects, the new behavior has

to change into a habit and will become automatic. The purpose of this study is to trace how

habits are formed in order to give awareness of the impact of these habits in one’s life.

Research Design

The type of research that will be used is a pragmatic research design. The

researchers aim to gather an in-depth understanding of the formation of habits in order to

have a better understanding of habits and how they work.

Research Environment

The school that the researchers have chosen is the same school where the researchers

are admitted to in line with the Senior High partial completion of the Grade 11 level. The

school bears the name Maria Montessori International School.

Research Informants

The research informants will all be coming from Maria Montessori International

School, specifically, 20 selected Senior High School Grade 11 students, five of which are

achievers, five are non-achievers, and 10 average students. The respondents will be

answering a questionnaire and will be interviewed by the researchers with given consent

and approval.

Research Instruments
 Researchers will accumulate the data by scheduled survey conduction and interview

with the selected Grade 11 students. The researchers will be conducting a questionnaire,

where they answer a list of questions that will be given to them.

Research Procedures

Gathering Data

The focus of the study is to assess how habits are formed in the lives of the

Grade 11 Senior High students of Maria Montessori International School and the

importance of this data cannot be exaggerated.

The conduction of the survey will be done during the students’ break or free

time and the handling of the interview will be done personally by the researchers

during the student’s free time. These procedures will enable strict confidentiality

between the researchers and respondents.

Treatment of Data

To interpret the data effectively, the researchers will employ the credibility

and reliability of the study of the data accumulated from the survey and interview.

This will help the researchers to draw a conclusion on the formulation of habits

and how these habits greatly affect one’s life.

Definition of terms

1.) Acquired habits are defined as an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or

completely involuntary.

2.) An advance of consumption is the act of consuming something, using, buying or eating

something.

3.)A powerful desire for something is a craving.

4.) Continuous setting states that A function f : A → R is continuous on a set B A if it is

continuous at every point in B, and continuous if it is continuous at every point of its domain A.

The definition of continuity at a point may be stated in terms of neighborhoods as follows.

5.) Desirability indicates the quality of being desirable or alluring

7.) A setting is a discrete setting if in a larger topological space, every point has a

neighborhood such that. Typically, a discrete set is either finite or countably infinite. For

example, the set of integers is discrete on the real line.

8.) Habit formation is the process by which new behaviors become automatic.

9.) Linear habit formation function, or "habit formation coefficient,". A more general

assumption is that the necessary quantity of each good is a linear function of consumption of that

good in the previous period.

10.) Optimal consumption patterns indicates the bundle of goods the consumer will choose. ...

This means, at the optimal consumption bundle, the MRS of good x for good y is equal to the

absolute value of the slope of the budget constraint.

11.) Postconditioning changes induced within a few minutes after reperfusion is arbitrarily

defined as rapid postconditioning.

12.) Preference conditioning is a standard preclinical behavioral model used to study the

rewarding and aversive effects of drugs.

13.) Reinforcement can be defined the action or process of reinforcing or strengthening.

14.) Satiation, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is “point at which satisfaction of

a need or familiarity with a stimulus reduces or ends an organism's responsiveness or

motivation.”

15.) Satiation model is the condition of being full to or beyond satisfaction: engorgement,

repletion, satiety, surfeit.

16.) A theory in psychology that refers to the belief that behavior manifests as a result of the

interplay between stimulus and response is stimulus-response.

17.) Variety is the quality or state of being different or diverse; the absence of uniformity,

sameness, or monotony.
 Chapter 2

Presentation, Analysis, and Interpretation of Data

1. What is Habit?

The informants commonly define a habit as follows: something that happens continuously, a

daily routine, something done repeatedly, and a natural course of action.

Based on the gathered data, the informants all generally have a similar idea of what a habit

is.

2. What is/are your Habit/s?

Most of the informants answer this question with their hobbies instead of their habits. They most

likely do not have a solid understanding of what a habit actually is and so they mix up the

definitions of what a habit is and what a hobby is.

Based on the gathered data, it can be inferred that while the informants are able to generally

define what a habit is, when it came to actually listing down their habits, they fall short, as they

may not be fully aware of what behavior falls under what can be considered a habit.

3. Why do you think you have these habit/s?

The common responses of the informants as to why they think they have these habit/s are as

follows: it is either through outside influence, be it parents, peers, or the media, or it is something

that they had picked up at an early age that they cannot recall anymore.

Based on the gathered data, it can be concluded that the common thread of habit formation

among the Grade 11 students of MMIS would usually be outside influence at an early stage in

life.
 Chapter 3

Summary, Findings, Conclusion, Recommendations

Summary

This study was conducted in order to analyze the formation of habits of the Grade 11

Senior High School students of Maria Montessori International School during the Academic

Year 2018-2019. Specifically, it answered the following questions: 1) What is a habit? 2) What

habits do the students have? 3) What are the factors that contribute to the formation of these

habits? To gather the needed data, the researchers utilized the B.F Skinner’s operant

conditioning, which pertains to the basis of how habits have been "controlled" by consequences

based on the study of reversible behavior that is maintained at specific schedules.

Findings

The following findings of the study are arranged according to the sub-problems.

1. The SHS Grade 11 Students' habits that were taken from the questionnaires are categorized as

habitual and unconscious habits. The researchers also have observed the data of these habits are

contextualized to what the research informant identifies as a habit.

2. The overall factor that affects the research informants’' habits is that they have been done

since their early years, picking them up from their surroundings and some data suggests that

these the research respondents formed these habits by personal choice.

Conclusion

Based on the findings of the study, it can then be concluded that the Grade 11 students form

their habits based on how were brought up in their early years, picking up habits based on

psychosocial factors

Recommendations

In light of the findings of the study, the researchers would presume that persons must be

monitored during their youth in order to maintain a sense of "controlled" behavior within certain

consequences and controlled environments. In this way, a person's individuality would be

properly understood without any undue judgement.

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