Discussion: View Thread

I heard some where that there is evidence to suggest that
when you are changing your behavior, you need to repeat the
new behavior about 21 times to successfully establish the new habot or
behavioral pattern.

I passed this on in class without checking references and some students
repeated the "fact" in psychology class with predictable results. Does
anyone know where this "rule" (or a similar one) came from? Is there any
evidence to back it up?

Thanks!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John F.S.Bunch, Ph.D. COMPETITION
Dept. of Acct. & Bus. Admin. Paper smothers stone
Benedictine College Stone smashes scissors
913-367-5340 ex. 2442 Scissors slash paper
fax 913367-6324 COOPERATION
jbunch@benedictine.edu Paper cradles stone
Stone sharpen scissors
Scissors transform paper!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Bevis,

What actually happened was two of my former students came and asked for
the reference because they were "laughed at" in psychology presumably for
being unscientific. I would really like to give them some support ...:)

> As a budding musician, being taught classical piano, I was told you have
> to play a piece of music correctly 26 times consecutively before you can
> be sure you've learnt it (at a level you can rely on for future
> performance) -- which might be one reason why I gave up classical piano.
>
> a) this might be the start point of the "21" referred to.
> b) forcing such a level of accuracy on students could be
> counterproductive ...
>
> Regards,
>
> Bevis England, Box 60-469, Titirangi, Auckland, New Zealand
> Ph: +64-9-811 8024 Fax: +64-9-811 8014
> bevis@telework.co.nz OR bevis@voyager.co.nz
> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Bunch <bunch@KANSAS.NET>
> To: MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU <MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
> Date: Tuesday, 9 February 1999 21:41
> Subject: Behvior change, repetitions and new habit formation?
>
>
> I heard some where that there is evidence to suggest that
> when you are changing your behavior, you need to repeat the
> new behavior about 21 times to successfully establish the new habot or
> behavioral pattern.
>
> I passed this on in class without checking references and some students
> repeated the "fact" in psychology class with predictable results. Does
> anyone know where this "rule" (or a similar one) came from? Is there any
> evidence to back it up?
>
> Thanks!
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> John F.S.Bunch, Ph.D. COMPETITION
> Dept. of Acct. & Bus. Admin. Paper smothers stone
> Benedictine College Stone smashes scissors
> 913-367-5340 ex. 2442 Scissors slash paper
> fax 913367-6324 COOPERATION
> jbunch@benedictine.edu Paper cradles stone
> Stone sharpen scissors
> Scissors transform paper!
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John F.S.Bunch, Ph.D. COMPETITION
Dept. of Acct. & Bus. Admin. Paper smothers stone
Benedictine College Stone smashes scissors
913-367-5340 ex. 2442 Scissors slash paper
fax 913367-6324 COOPERATION
jbunch@benedictine.edu Paper cradles stone
Stone sharpen scissors
Scissors transform paper!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

As a budding musician, being taught classical piano, I was told you have to
play a piece of music correctly 26 times consecutively before you can be
sure you've learnt it (at a level you can rely on for future performance) --
which might be one reason why I gave up classical piano.

a) this might be the start point of the "21" referred to.
b) forcing such a level of accuracy on students could be counterproductive
...

Regards,

Bevis England, Box 60-469, Titirangi, Auckland, New Zealand
Ph: +64-9-811 8024 Fax: +64-9-811 8014
bevis@telework.co.nz OR bevis@voyager.co.nz
-----Original Message-----
From: John Bunch <bunch@KANSAS.NET>
To: MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU <MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Date: Tuesday, 9 February 1999 21:41
Subject: Behvior change, repetitions and new habit formation?


I heard some where that there is evidence to suggest that
when you are changing your behavior, you need to repeat the
new behavior about 21 times to successfully establish the new habot or
behavioral pattern.

I passed this on in class without checking references and some students
repeated the "fact" in psychology class with predictable results. Does
anyone know where this "rule" (or a similar one) came from? Is there any
evidence to back it up?

Thanks!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John F.S.Bunch, Ph.D. COMPETITION
Dept. of Acct. & Bus. Admin. Paper smothers stone
Benedictine College Stone smashes scissors
913-367-5340 ex. 2442 Scissors slash paper
fax 913367-6324 COOPERATION
jbunch@benedictine.edu Paper cradles stone
Stone sharpen scissors
Scissors transform paper!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dear John, I believe the "21 rule" comes from the Covey training program.

Regards, Kim Boal

At 07:08 PM 2/7/99 -0600, you wrote:
>I heard some where that there is evidence to suggest that
>when you are changing your behavior, you need to repeat the
>new behavior about 21 times to successfully establish the new habot or
>behavioral pattern.
>
>I passed this on in class without checking references and some students
>repeated the "fact" in psychology class with predictable results. Does
>anyone know where this "rule" (or a similar one) came from? Is there any
>evidence to back it up?
>
>Thanks!
>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>John F.S.Bunch, Ph.D. COMPETITION
>Dept. of Acct. & Bus. Admin. Paper smothers stone
>Benedictine College Stone smashes scissors
>913-367-5340 ex. 2442 Scissors slash paper
>fax 913367-6324 COOPERATION
>jbunch@benedictine.edu Paper cradles stone
> Stone sharpen scissors
> Scissors transform paper!
>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
--------------------------------
Kim Boal
College of Business Administration
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX 79409
(806) 742-2150
KimBoal@ttu.edu

Kim,
I remember hearing the "21 rule" long before Covey's programs were
around. I'm curious about the original source; hope someone knows it.
Susie
--
H. Susie Coddington, Ph.D., Coddington Learning Co.
5251 Patriot Lane, Ste. C., Columbia, MD 21045
410.992.9563 HS.Coddington@jhu.edu
Learning Never Ends . . .

Sorry, but the idea has been around a lot longer. While Covey may have
incorporated the idea, I grew up in the late 40's with a grandmother who
insisted that you must do something consistently for at least a month for
it to become a habit.

For what it's worth,
Regards,

Jan Flynn

At 08:44 AM 2/9/99 -0600, you wrote:
>Dear John, I believe the "21 rule" comes from the Covey training program.
>
>Regards, Kim Boal
>
>At 07:08 PM 2/7/99 -0600, you wrote:
>>I heard some where that there is evidence to suggest that
>>when you are changing your behavior, you need to repeat the
>>new behavior about 21 times to successfully establish the new habot or
>>behavioral pattern.
>>
>>I passed this on in class without checking references and some students
>>repeated the "fact" in psychology class with predictable results. Does
>>anyone know where this "rule" (or a similar one) came from? Is there any
>>evidence to back it up?
>>
>>Thanks!
>>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>>John F.S.Bunch, Ph.D. COMPETITION
>>Dept. of Acct. & Bus. Admin. Paper smothers stone
>>Benedictine College Stone smashes scissors
>>913-367-5340 ex. 2442 Scissors slash paper
>>fax 913367-6324 COOPERATION
>>jbunch@benedictine.edu Paper cradles stone
>> Stone sharpen scissors
>> Scissors transform paper!
>>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>>
>--------------------------------
>Kim Boal
>College of Business Administration
>Texas Tech University
>Lubbock, TX 79409
>(806) 742-2150
>KimBoal@ttu.edu
>
>

If I remember Benjamin Franklin's autobiography correctly, he identified 13
character traits worthy of having and in order to improve on them he
developed a formula and it went something like this: first put the
character traits in their most desirable order; then, work on each one for
a week concentrating solely on that characteristic. By the end of a year
you would have spent 28 days on each of the thirteen traits.
At 09:36 AM 2/10/99 -0500, you wrote:
>Sorry, but the idea has been around a lot longer. While Covey may have
>incorporated the idea, I grew up in the late 40's with a grandmother who
>insisted that you must do something consistently for at least a month for
>it to become a habit.
>
>For what it's worth,
>Regards,
>
>Jan Flynn
>
>At 08:44 AM 2/9/99 -0600, you wrote:
>>Dear John, I believe the "21 rule" comes from the Covey training program.
>>
>>Regards, Kim Boal
>>
>>At 07:08 PM 2/7/99 -0600, you wrote:
>>>I heard some where that there is evidence to suggest that
>>>when you are changing your behavior, you need to repeat the
>>>new behavior about 21 times to successfully establish the new habot or
>>>behavioral pattern.
>>>
>>>I passed this on in class without checking references and some students
>>>repeated the "fact" in psychology class with predictable results. Does
>>>anyone know where this "rule" (or a similar one) came from? Is there any
>>>evidence to back it up?
>>>
>>>Thanks!
>>>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>>>John F.S.Bunch, Ph.D. COMPETITION
>>>Dept. of Acct. & Bus. Admin. Paper smothers stone
>>>Benedictine College Stone smashes scissors
>>>913-367-5340 ex. 2442 Scissors slash paper
>>>fax 913367-6324 COOPERATION
>>>jbunch@benedictine.edu Paper cradles stone
>>> Stone sharpen scissors
>>> Scissors transform paper!
>>>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>>>
>>--------------------------------
>>Kim Boal
>>College of Business Administration
>>Texas Tech University
>>Lubbock, TX 79409
>>(806) 742-2150
>>KimBoal@ttu.edu
>>
>>
>
>
Hubert Wood
Director Human Resources
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
ABAC 33, 2802 Moore Hwy
Tifton Ga 31794
912-386-3491
mailto:hwood@c.abac.peachnet.edu