The App, the Habit, and the Change: Digital Tools for Multidomain Behavior Change
Felix Reinsch, Maren Kählig, Maria Neubauer, Jeannette Stark, Hannes Schlieter
This study analyzed 36 popular habit-forming mobile apps to understand how they encourage positive lifestyle changes across multiple domains. Researchers examined 585 different behavior recommendations within these apps, classifying them into 20 distinct categories to see which habits are most common and how they are interconnected.
Problem
It is known that developing a positive habit in one area of life can create a ripple effect, leading to improvements in other areas. However, there was little research on whether digital habit-tracking apps are designed to leverage this interconnectedness to help users achieve comprehensive and lasting lifestyle changes.
Outcome
- Physical Exercise is the most dominant and central habit recommended by apps, often linked with Nutrition and Leisure Activities. - On average, habit apps suggest behaviors across nearly 13 different lifestyle domains, indicating a move towards a holistic approach to well-being. - Apps that offer recommendations in more lifestyle domains also tend to provide more advanced features to support habit formation. - Simply offering a wide variety of habits and features does not guarantee high user satisfaction, suggesting that other factors like user experience are critical for an app's success.
Host: Welcome to A.I.S. Insights — powered by Living Knowledge, the podcast where we break down complex research into actionable business strategy. I’m your host, Anna Ivy Summers. Host: Today, we're diving into a fascinating study called "The App, the Habit, and the Change: Digital Tools for Multidomain Behavior Change." Host: It explores how popular habit-forming mobile apps are designed to encourage positive lifestyle changes, not just in one area, but across a person's entire life. With us to unpack the details is our analyst, Alex Ian Sutherland. Alex, welcome. Expert: Great to be here, Anna. Host: So, let's start with the big picture. We all know that starting one good habit, like going to the gym, can sometimes lead to other positive changes, like eating better. What was the core problem that this study wanted to solve? Expert: Exactly. That ripple effect is a well-known concept, sometimes called the "key-habit theory." The problem was, we didn't know if the digital tools we use every day—our habit-tracking apps—are actually designed to take advantage of this. Expert: Are they strategically connecting habits to create comprehensive, lasting change? Or are they just giving us isolated checklists for drinking more water or exercising, missing the bigger opportunity to improve overall well-being? Host: That’s a great question. So how did the researchers go about finding the answer? What was their approach? Expert: Well, instead of running a user experiment, they did a deep content analysis. The team took 36 of the most popular habit apps on the market and systematically documented every single behavior they recommended. Expert: This resulted in 585 distinct recommendations, which they then grouped into 20 broad "meta-behavior" categories—things like Physical Exercise, Nutrition, Mental Health, and even Finance. This allowed them to map out the landscape and see which habits are most common and how they're connected. Host: A map of our digital habits. I love that. So, after all that analysis, what were the standout findings? Expert: The first major finding was the undisputed dominance of one category: Physical Exercise. It appeared in nearly every app and was the most interconnected habit of all. Host: What was it connected to? Expert: It was very frequently paired with Nutrition and Leisure Activities. The data suggests that app developers see exercise as a gateway habit—a starting point that naturally leads users to think about what they eat and how they spend their free time. Host: That makes intuitive sense. Were the apps generally focused on just one or two things, or were they broader? Expert: They were surprisingly broad. The study found that, on average, a single habit app suggests behaviors across nearly 13 different lifestyle domains. This shows a clear shift away from single-purpose apps toward more holistic, all-in-one wellness platforms. Host: So, if an app offers more types of habits, does that mean it also has more features to help you build them? Expert: Yes, there was a significant correlation there. Apps that covered more lifestyle domains also tended to provide more advanced tools for habit formation, like custom reminders or features that let you "stack" a new habit onto an existing one. Host: Okay, so here's the million-dollar question. Does packing an app with more habits and more features automatically make it a winner with users? Expert: It's a fantastic question, and the answer is a clear no. This was one of the most critical findings. The study found that simply offering a wide variety of habits and features does not guarantee high user satisfaction or better app store ratings. Host: Why not? Expert: It suggests that other factors are much more important for an app's success. Things like the quality of the user experience, an intuitive design, and how genuinely motivating the app feels are what truly drive user satisfaction and loyalty. More isn't always better. Host: This is the perfect pivot to our final segment. Alex, let's talk about why this matters for business. For our listeners in app development, digital health, or even corporate wellness, what are the key takeaways? Expert: There are three big ones. First, leverage "anchor habits." The study shows that Physical Exercise acts as a powerful anchor. For developers, this means you can design a user's journey to start with exercise, and then strategically introduce related habits like nutrition or sleep tracking once the user is engaged. It's a roadmap for deepening user involvement. Host: That's a great strategy. What's the second takeaway? Expert: The second is that holistic design is the future. A siloed approach is becoming obsolete. Businesses need to think about how their product fits into a customer's broader lifestyle. Whether you're building an app or a corporate wellness program, the goal is to support the whole person. This creates a much stickier, more valuable product. Host: And the third, which you touched on a moment ago? Expert: Right. User experience trumps feature-stuffing. This study is a warning against bloating your product with features nobody asked for. Success comes from focusing on quality over quantity. A seamless, intuitive, and genuinely helpful experience is what will earn you high ratings and keep users coming back. Host: That’s incredibly clear. It seems the lesson is to be strategic, holistic, and relentlessly focused on the user’s actual experience. Expert: Precisely. It’s about creating a reinforcing loop of positive change, and designing a tool that feels effortless and encouraging to use. Host: Alex, this has been incredibly insightful. Thank you for breaking it down for us. Expert: My pleasure, Anna. Host: So, to summarize for our listeners: the world of habit formation is moving toward a holistic, multi-domain approach. Physical exercise often serves as a powerful "anchor" to introduce other positive behaviors. And for any business in this space, remember that a high-quality user experience is far more critical to success than simply the number of features you can list. Host: That’s all the time we have for today. Thank you for tuning into A.I.S. Insights — powered by Living Knowledge. Join us next time as we translate another piece of cutting-edge research into your next business advantage.
Digital Behavior Change Application, Habit Formation, Behavior Change Support System, Mobile Application, Lifestyle Improvement, Multidomain Behavior Change
