Sophia Pink, PhD Candidate, Operations, Information, and Decisions, The Wharton School; Jose Cervantez, PhD Candidate, Operations, Information, and Decisions, The Wharton School; Katy Milkman, Operations, Information, and Decisions, The Wharton School
Abstract: When people want to build multiple habits, is it better to start them all at once or to layer them on gradually? This project investigates this question using a field experiment on LinkedIn. Active users choose three recurring professional behaviors, and are randomly assigned either to begin all habits simultaneously (parallel pursuit) or to stagger the start so that new goals are layered on over time (sequential pursuit). The study measures how many habits participants complete once all habits are active, allowing a clean comparison of how different starting structures shape follow-through. By testing a simple but consequential decision people make whenever they pursue multiple goals, this project offers practical insight into how managers and platforms can better support sustained behavior change.