Behavioral momentum and resistance to change

Persistence is an important dimension of behavior for both theoretical and practical reasons. The context and function of the behavior will determine whether the individual, her family, and others concerned would wish it to continue. Basic learning factors, though, determine whether it will continue, and for how long, and in the face of what challenges. This chapter provides a general review of behavioral persistence from the perspective of behavioral momentum theory. It describes the basic theoretical underpinnings of behavioral momentum, the procedures that historically have been used to investigate behavioral persistence, and some general findings from the resistance-to-change literature. The chapter details some conceptually problematic findings that may not be well captured by the metaphor offered by Nevin and colleagues (1983). It discusses recent extensions of momentum theory to more complex behavioral phenomena.