The Creature of Habit Scale
 
Habits are a part of daily life. They help us to be efficient at what we are doing and allow us to multitask, but once established, they are hard to break. In some cases, habits may even spiral out of control, as seen in clinical disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, drug addiction or eating disorders.

Understanding how people differ in their ability to form and break habits is important. It helps us to develop more effective interventions to help people change their behaviour, such as the interventions we are developing right now to help people who are struggling to kick their drug or alcohol habit.

To better understand people’s propensity for habits we developed the Creature of Habit Scale. This is a sensitive tool that measures a person’s tendency to rely on automatic habits and routines. If you are interested in finding out more, click here to read our journal article.

Have a go and see where you sit on the spectrum by answering the questions below:
What is your biological sex?
Many people use their smartphone a lot, to the point when it becomes a habit. Do you have smartphone?

Now, please read the statements below and indicate, for each of them, how much you agree or disagree.

I like to park my car or bike always in the same place.
I generally cook with the same spices / flavorings.
When walking past a plate of candies or cookies, I can't resist taking one. 
I tend to go to bed at roughly the same time every night. 
I often take a snack while on the go (e.g. when driving, walking down the streets, or surfing the web).
I quite happily work within my comfort zone rather than challenging myself, if I don't have to. 
I tend to do things in the same order every morning (e.g. get up, go to the bathroom, have a coffee...). 
Eating chips or cookies straight out of the packet is typical of me. 
Whenever I go into the kitchen, I typically look in the fridge.
I always try to get the same seat in places such as on the bus, in the cinema, or in church. 
I often find myself finishing off a packet of cookies just because it is lying there. 
I normally buy the same foods from the same grocery store.
I rely on what is tried and tested rather than exploring something new.
I generally eat the same things for breakfast every day.
I tend to like routine.
I usually treat myself to a snack at the end of the workday. 
In a restaurant, I tend to order dishes that I am familiar with.  
I am one of those people who get really annoyed by last minute cancellations. 
I often find myself eating without being aware of it. 
I usually sit at the same place at the dinner table. 
I often find myself running on 'autopilot', and then wonder why I ended up in a particular place or doing something that I did not intend to do. 
I always follow a certain order when preparing a meal. 
Television makes me particularly prone to uncontrolled eating. 
I tend to stick with the version of the software package that I am familiar with for as long as I can. 
I often find myself opening up the cabinet to take a snack. 
I am prone to eating more when I feel stressed. 
I find comfort in regularity.