Two-Phase Model of Habit Change: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study

Artemiy Leonov; Justin Laplante

doi:10.29333/ajqr/18005

Artemiy Leonov ¹ ^* , Justin Laplante ²

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AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 10, Issue 2, pp. 188-212

https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/18005

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Abstract

Habits – implicit associations between psychologically satisfying outcomes and the sequence of actions that repetitively produced these outcomes in a relatively stable environment – are crucial for human health, self-regulation, and day-to-day functioning. The present research claims that the primary function of habit mechanism is stress-reduction, associated with decision-making and environmental assessment. Next, addressing the theoretical contradictions of the traditional model of habit development, we propose a new two-phase model, differentiating the old-habit extinction phase and the new-habit formation phase and choosing appropriate cognitive strategies for each. The model was tested via 6-week longitudinal qualitative study, assessing its effectiveness and alignment with participants’ experience. Ten participants who expressed the wish to develop a habit of practicing mindfulness meditation, and who had never meditated regularly before, participated. The study protocol was designed to strategically increase their awareness of routine during the first two weeks of the study and decrease it during the remaining four weeks of the study, thus minimizing the stress entailed by the routine restructuring. All participants reported developing a meditation habit, and thematic analysis has shown that the experiences of 8/10 participants fit the two-phase model. Finally, participants’ accounts support the synthesis of outcome-insensitivity and cue-dependence issues in habit formation and initiate broader discussion about personal differences in routine following.

Keywords: habit, implicit processing, stress, mindfulness, longitudinal qualitative study

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Citation

Leonov, A., & Laplante, J. (2026). Two-Phase Model of Habit Change: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 10(2), 188-212. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/18005

Leonov, A., and Laplante, J. (2026). Two-Phase Model of Habit Change: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 10(2), pp. 188-212. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/18005

Leonov A, Laplante J. Two-Phase Model of Habit Change: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study. AM J QUALITATIVE RES. 2026;10(2), 188-212. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/18005

Leonov, Artemiy, and Justin Laplante. "Two-Phase Model of Habit Change: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study". American Journal of Qualitative Research 2026 10 no. 2 (2026): 188-212. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/18005

Leonov, Artemiy et al. "Two-Phase Model of Habit Change: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study". American Journal of Qualitative Research, vol. 10, no. 2, 2026, pp. 188-212. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/18005

Leonov A, Laplante J. Two-Phase Model of Habit Change: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study. AM J QUALITATIVE RES. 2026;10(2):188-212. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/18005