The term ‘habit’ is widely used to predict and explain behaviour. This paper examines use of the term in the context of health-related behaviour, and explores how the concept might be made more useful. A narrative review is presented, drawing on a scoping review of 136 empirical studies and 8 literature reviews undertaken to document usage of the term ‘habit’, and methods to measure it. A coherent definition of ‘habit’, and proposals for improved methods for studying it, were derived from findings. Definitions of ‘habit’ have varied in ways that are often implicit and not coherently linked with an underlying theory. A definition is proposed whereby habit is a process by which a stimulus generates an impulse to act as a result of a learned stimulus-response association. Habit-generated impulses may compete or combine with impulses and inhibitions arising from other sources, including conscious decision-making, to influence responses, and need not generate behaviour. Most research on habit is based on correlational studies using self-report measures. Adopting a coherent definition of ‘habit’, and a wider range of paradigms, designs and measures to study it, may accelerate progress in habit theory and application.

“习惯”一词被广泛用于预测和解释行为。本文研究了该术语在健康相关行为的背景下的使用，并探讨了如何使该概念更有用。叙述性评论基于对 136 项实证研究和 8 篇文献综述进行的范围界定，以记录“习惯”一词的使用情况，以及衡量它的方法。“习惯”的连贯定义，以及研究它的改进方法的建议，都是从研究结果中得出的。“习惯”的定义以通常隐含的方式变化，并且与基础理论没有连贯的联系。提出了一个定义，其中习惯是一个过程，通过该过程，刺激产生作为习得的刺激-反应关联的结果而采取行动的冲动。习惯产生的冲动可能与其他来源产生的冲动和抑制竞争或结合，包括有意识的决策，以影响反应，而不需要产生行为。大多数关于习惯的研究都是基于使用自我报告测量的相关研究。采用一个连贯的“习惯”定义，以及更广泛的范式、设计和研究方法，可能会加速习惯理论和应用的进展。