Science foundations

The research that informs our design (we keep it in the background so community and practice stay central):

1. Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything (Fogg, B.J.)
   Small, easy changes compound into major shifts over time.
   Learn more

2. Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000)
   Autonomy, competence, and relatedness drive motivation.
   Read the paper

3. Identity-based motivation (Oyserman, 2009)
   Change is more likely when tied to an evolving identity.
   View research

4. The Emotional and Psychological Benefits of Expressive Writing (Pennebaker, 1997)
   Writing about experiences can improve mood, health, and behavior.
   Read the study

5. Behavioral Activation for Depression (Martell et al., 2001)
   Small intentional actions combat stagnation and support progress.
   View details

6. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990)
   Balancing challenge and skill creates engaging experiences.
   Learn more

7. Social Support and Resilience to Stress (Cohen & Wills, 1985)
   Social groups help people resist stress and maintain new behaviors.
   Read the paper

8. The Habit Loop: Cue, Routine, Reward (Duhigg, 2012)
   Environmental cues can replace unhelpful habits with better ones.
   Learn more

9. Self-Compassion and Adaptive Psychological Functioning (Neff, 2003)
   Self-compassion supports resilience and persistence better than self-criticism.
   View research

10. Goal Setting and Task Performance (Locke & Latham, 1981)
    Clear, flexible goals outperform vague goal pursuit.
    Read the study

Curious how this influences practice? Visit our About page for the community-first framing.