easherma
commented
9 years ago Good stuff. I'd say for most of the purposes of this project (i.e. dialog with local alderman), establishing correlation between these behaviors and biking/regular exercise will be enough to make the argument, especially if we can also cite longitudinal studies that show in increase in biking after more cycling infrastructure is provided, etc..
On Wed, Feb 18, 2015 at 11:01 AM, Derek Burk notifications@github.com wrote:
In the book "The Power of Habit", author Charles Duhigg discusses the concept of "keystone habits", which captures the notion that certain small changes in a person's life (or in an organizational culture) can have a cascading effect, producing all sorts of other positive changes. One of Duhigg's main examples is at the organizational level, where he tells the story of how the aluminum company Alcoa changed their whole organizational culture simply by creating a habit of rapidly-reporting and responding to workplace injuries to improve worker safety. This habit forced factory managers to be in closer communication with workers and with executives, encouraged early adoption of email at the company in the 1990s, etc., etc. Duhigg also mentions exercise as a keystone habit, claiming
When people start habitually exercising...they start changing other, unrelated patterns in their lives, often unknowingly. Typically, people who exercise start eating better and becoming more productive at work. They smoke less and show more patience with colleagues and family. They use their credit cards less frequently and say they feel less stressed.
The studies he cites mostly look at the impact of exercise on mental health (reducing depression and anxiety), so I haven't yet found the scholarly evidence for some of the claims Duhigg is making, but the idea that habits are connected and changing one can lead to changes in another makes intuitive sense. One way exercise may improve mental health and promote other good behaviors is through release of beneficial neurotransmitters and hormones, like seratonin, endorphins, and adrenaline, which improve mood and boost energy. Another way biking specifically could change habits is by changing time use patterns, as Charlotte emphasized last night.
To answer this question, we can cite research on the benefits of exercise (see references below), look for research specifically discussing how biking changes other behaviors in people's lives, and by thinking through this question and building our own logical argument about how this could work.
Some references on exercise:
Aaron, Deborah J. et al. 1995. “Physical Activity and the Initiation of High-Risk Health Behaviors in Adolescents.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Retrieved February 18, 2015 ( http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1996-30864-001).
Blair, Steven N., David R. Jacobs Jr, and Kenneth E. Powell. 1985. “Relationships between Exercise or Physical Activity and Other Health Behaviors.” Public health reports 100(2):172. Callaghan, Patrick. 2004. “Exercise: A Neglected Intervention in Mental Health Care?” Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing 11(4):476–83.
Dubbert, Patricia M. 2002. “Physical Activity and Exercise: Recent Advances and Current Challenges.” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 70(3):526–36.
Frumkin, Howard, Lawrence Frank, and Richard J. Jackson. 2004. Urban Sprawl and Public Health: Designing, Planning, and Building for Healthy Communities. Island Press. Retrieved February 18, 2015 ( http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Xk06al1sAmUC&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&ots=Y8kMZtb1GR&sig=bKBN3DACf9VjK8upKWJAbGZ47es ).
King, Abby C. et al. 2000. “Personal and Environmental Factors Associated with Physical Inactivity among Different Racial–ethnic Groups of US Middle-Aged and Older-Aged Women.” Health psychology 19(4):354.
Mesters, Ilse, Stefanie Wahl, and Hilde M. Van Keulen. 2014. “Socio-Demographic, Medical and Social-Cognitive Correlates of Physical Activity Behavior among Older Adults (45-70 Years): A Cross-Sectional Study.” BMC public health 14(1):647.
Morgan, William P. and Stephen E. Goldston. 2013. Exercise and Mental Health. Taylor & Francis. Retrieved February 18, 2015 ( http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Q_HOcw5iWjwC&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&ots=NnB1QE8gQz&sig=pm0gOZkF9G2b0cnyIMmC1IALw2c ).
Pate, Russell R., Gregory W. Heath, Marsha Dowda, and Stewart G. Trost.
- “Associations between Physical Activity and Other Health Behaviors in a Representative Sample of US Adolescents.” American journal of public health 86(11):1577–81.
Ransdell, Lynda B. and Christine L. Wells. 1998. “Physical Activity in Urban White, African-American, and Mexican-American Women.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Retrieved February 18, 2015 ( http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1998-11191-004).
Rethorst, Chad D., Bradley M. Wipfli, and Daniel M. Landers. 2009. “The Antidepressive Effects of Exercise.” Sports Medicine 39(6):491–511.
Sherwood, Nancy E. and Robert W. Jeffery. 2000. “The Behavioral Determinants of Exercise: Implications for Physical Activity Interventions.” Annual review of nutrition 20(1):21–44.
Smith, Timothy W., C. Tracy Orleans, and C. David Jenkins. 2004. “Prevention and Health Promotion: Decades of Progress, New Challenges, and an Emerging Agenda.” Health Psychology 23(2):126–31.
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Oboi
In the book "The Power of Habit", author Charles Duhigg discusses the concept of "keystone habits", which captures the notion that certain small changes in a person's life (or in an organizational culture) can have a cascading effect, producing all sorts of other positive changes. One of Duhigg's main examples is at the organizational level, where he tells the story of how the aluminum company Alcoa changed their whole organizational culture simply by creating a habit of rapidly-reporting and responding to workplace injuries to improve worker safety. This habit forced factory managers to be in closer communication with workers and with executives, encouraged early adoption of email at the company in the 1990s, etc., etc. Duhigg also mentions exercise as a keystone habit, claiming
The studies he cites mostly look at the impact of exercise on mental health (reducing depression and anxiety), so I haven't yet found the scholarly evidence for some of the claims Duhigg is making, but the idea that habits are connected and changing one can lead to changes in another makes intuitive sense. One way exercise may improve mental health and promote other good behaviors is through release of beneficial neurotransmitters and hormones, like seratonin, endorphins, and adrenaline, which improve mood and boost energy. Another way biking specifically could change habits is by changing time use patterns, as Charlotte emphasized last night.
To answer this question, we can cite research on the benefits of exercise (see references below), look for research specifically discussing how biking changes other behaviors in people's lives, and by thinking through this question and building our own logical argument about how this could work.
Some references on exercise:
Aaron, Deborah J. et al. 1995. “Physical Activity and the Initiation of High-Risk Health Behaviors in Adolescents.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Retrieved February 18, 2015 (http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1996-30864-001).
Blair, Steven N., David R. Jacobs Jr, and Kenneth E. Powell. 1985. “Relationships between Exercise or Physical Activity and Other Health Behaviors.” Public health reports 100(2):172. Callaghan, Patrick. 2004. “Exercise: A Neglected Intervention in Mental Health Care?” Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing 11(4):476–83.
Dubbert, Patricia M. 2002. “Physical Activity and Exercise: Recent Advances and Current Challenges.” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 70(3):526–36.
Frumkin, Howard, Lawrence Frank, and Richard J. Jackson. 2004. Urban Sprawl and Public Health: Designing, Planning, and Building for Healthy Communities. Island Press. Retrieved February 18, 2015 (http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Xk06al1sAmUC&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&ots=Y8kMZtb1GR&sig=bKBN3DACf9VjK8upKWJAbGZ47es).
King, Abby C. et al. 2000. “Personal and Environmental Factors Associated with Physical Inactivity among Different Racial–ethnic Groups of US Middle-Aged and Older-Aged Women.” Health psychology 19(4):354.
Mesters, Ilse, Stefanie Wahl, and Hilde M. Van Keulen. 2014. “Socio-Demographic, Medical and Social-Cognitive Correlates of Physical Activity Behavior among Older Adults (45-70 Years): A Cross-Sectional Study.” BMC public health 14(1):647.
Morgan, William P. and Stephen E. Goldston. 2013. Exercise and Mental Health. Taylor & Francis. Retrieved February 18, 2015 (http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Q_HOcw5iWjwC&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&ots=NnB1QE8gQz&sig=pm0gOZkF9G2b0cnyIMmC1IALw2c).
Pate, Russell R., Gregory W. Heath, Marsha Dowda, and Stewart G. Trost. 1996. “Associations between Physical Activity and Other Health Behaviors in a Representative Sample of US Adolescents.” American journal of public health 86(11):1577–81.
Ransdell, Lynda B. and Christine L. Wells. 1998. “Physical Activity in Urban White, African-American, and Mexican-American Women.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Retrieved February 18, 2015 (http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1998-11191-004).
Rethorst, Chad D., Bradley M. Wipfli, and Daniel M. Landers. 2009. “The Antidepressive Effects of Exercise.” Sports Medicine 39(6):491–511.
Sherwood, Nancy E. and Robert W. Jeffery. 2000. “The Behavioral Determinants of Exercise: Implications for Physical Activity Interventions.” Annual review of nutrition 20(1):21–44.
Smith, Timothy W., C. Tracy Orleans, and C. David Jenkins. 2004. “Prevention and Health Promotion: Decades of Progress, New Challenges, and an Emerging Agenda.” Health Psychology 23(2):126–31.