Why streaks work (and when they stop working)

What research knows about streaks

A streak is the number of days in a row you do something. Many apps — for languages or steps, for example — put it front and center and let you know when it breaks. Does it work?

The most direct answer comes from Silverman and Barasch (2023), who ran seven studies on how streaks shown in an app affect what people do next. The main finding: when the record shows an unbroken streak, people are more likely to keep going than when it shows a broken one. That held even when they had actually done exactly the same thing — only what they saw in the record was different.

In the field: 7,000 steps a day

The first study took place during a 30-day physical activity challenge for employees of a university. The goal was at least 7,000 steps a day, and the app showed how many days in a row each person had managed it. In all, 980 people took part. They hit the goal more often on days when their streak was unbroken than on the day after it broke — even after accounting for how often each person hit the goal overall.

The authors themselves point out that this is observational: it shows an association, not cause and effect. People with a streak may simply be more motivated.

In an experiment: same effort, different record

So the next studies manipulated streaks on purpose. In one, 601 adults from an online panel did the same four strength exercises. For one group, the app logged four check marks in a row; for the other, it supposedly “failed to load” the last exercise and showed an X.

Afterward, 66.23% of people with an unbroken streak chose another strength exercise over stretching, compared with 57.86% of those with a broken one. The effort was the same; only the picture was different.

The authors explain this by saying that keeping a streak becomes a goal of its own. It’s no longer just about moving, but also about “not breaking the chain.”

Three reasons streaks pull you in

1. Consistency becomes visible

One day of movement changes nothing, and nobody notices it. But the number 23 shows that something is happening. A streak turns invisible consistency into something you can count — and something you can lose.

2. Losses hurt more than gains

In prospect theory, Kahneman and Tversky (1979) described how we feel losses more strongly than gains of the same size. They mainly studied decisions about money, though they expected the principle to apply elsewhere too. Applying it to streaks is tempting: losing 40 days in a row hurts more than day 41 feels good.

Whether this is what’s behind the effect of streaks isn’t certain, though. Silverman and Barasch mention loss aversion only in passing, as one of several possible mechanisms that need further research.

3. A nearby goal pulls you forward

Kivetz, Urminsky and Zheng (2006) tracked a “buy 10 coffees, get 1 free” loyalty card at a café at a US university. The closer customers got to the reward, the more often they came: between the first and the last stamp, the time between purchases shrank by 20% on average (0.7 days).

In the same paper, 108 customers got either a regular 10-stamp card or a 12-stamp card with two bonus stamps already filled in. The second group completed the required ten purchases in 12.7 days instead of 15.6. Feeling that part of the way is already behind you works, even if it’s a bit of an illusion.

A streak itself has no end, so milestones — 7, 30, 50 or 100 days, say — play the role of the nearby goal. There’s a catch, though: Kivetz et al. observed that after customers got their reward, purchases slowed down again and only sped up as the next reward approached. This hasn’t been tested for streak milestones, but it’s wise to expect a small dip after a big milestone.

When streaks stop working

When a break means the end

In the experiments, people kept going less often after a broken streak than with an unbroken one. In a study with a vocabulary app, 65.84% of people with an unbroken streak kept learning instead of watching a fun video, versus 54.73% of people with no record at all and 47.98% of those with a broken streak. That a broken streak might do harm even compared with no record at all is only a hint, though — that difference wasn’t statistically significant.

A lot depends on who people blame for the slip. In an online number game, 53.17% of people with an unbroken streak kept playing, 42.00% of those whose streak was broken by something outside their control (the game wasn’t available) and only 28.87% of those whose streak broke because they couldn’t beat a hard game. The difference between the first two groups was only marginally significant; the drop for “my own fault” was substantial.

The habit itself, meanwhile, survives a single slip. In Lally et al. (2009), one missed opportunity didn’t meaningfully affect habit formation. So the bigger risk probably isn’t the missed day, but quitting altogether because the number is broken. How to get back after a slip is covered in Missed a day? Why one slip won’t break your habit.

When you move for the counter

When the number becomes a goal in itself, it can crowd out the reason you started moving in the first place. A detail from the same online number game shows how much a streak is worth on its own: almost half of the participants said they would watch an ad to keep or repair a streak (45% and 43%, respectively).

Etkin (2016) studied what measurement itself does to the enjoyment of pleasant activities. In one experiment, college students wore a pedometer for one day — some with the display visible, others with it taped over (91 of 95 participants were analyzed). Students who could see their steps walked more, but enjoyed walking less. It was a single day and only students, so treat it as a warning sign rather than proof: a counter can turn something enjoyable into work.

When you’re afraid of the number

The longer the streak, the more there is to lose. Then someone might head out in the evening with a fever to “finish their steps,” or turn down a trip because they wouldn’t hit their goal. At that point, the streak isn’t serving you — you’re serving it.

When you’re sick or injured, your health and your doctor’s advice come first, not the counter.

How to set up a streak that helps

A bar for a bad day

The daily goal should be doable even on days when everything piles up. Silverman and Barasch suggest counting more types of activity toward a streak rather than fewer. At the same time, they acknowledge that rules that are too loose can make a streak less meaningful. So you’re looking for a bar that’s low, but not zero.

A safety net for missed days

In the last experiment in Silverman and Barasch’s paper, some people with a broken streak were given the option to repair it. Of those with an unbroken streak, 93.14% kept going, compared with 68.66% of those with a broken streak and 85.20% of those with a broken but repairable one. The repair softened the drop, though it didn’t erase it. Again, this was an online game, not exercise.

But the safety net needs a limit. If you could catch up without limit, the streak would stop meaning anything.

A buddy instead of a counter

A streak for two adds a commitment to someone else. We didn’t find a study specifically on shared streaks, but others have tested physical activity games with social features. The randomized BE FIT trial enrolled 200 adults from 94 families in the US (mean age 55). Everyone had a daily step goal and feedback. Families in the game group also played a game with points and levels for twelve weeks, built on collaboration, mutual accountability and support. Players hit their goal on 53% of days, the control group on 32%. After the game ended, the gap narrowed but persisted (44% vs. 33%).

For completeness: in another study by the same team (STEP UP, 602 adults with overweight or obesity), competition raised step counts the most — the competition group added 920 more steps a day than the control group, the collaboration group 637. Only for competition did the effect stay significant after the game ended. If competition motivates you more, try a step challenge with friends.

Tada! is built on these same principles: a day is done with 6,000 steps or 20 minutes of workout. A freeze automatically holds your streak on a day that didn’t work out (one a month for free; it doesn’t add the day), and a missed day can be repaired within 48 hours — only ever one. In a shared streak, your buddy only sees your nickname, your color and whether you’re done for today. Not your steps, not your minutes.

A streak that can handle a bad day Tada! counts active days with a bar you can clear even on a rough day, and a safety net for the days that don’t work out. Better with a buddy. Download for iPhone

How long it takes before you no longer need the streak and movement becomes a habit is covered in How long does it take to form a habit? Not 21 days. And if your streak is just getting started with the new year, How to stick with exercise after your New Year’s resolution can help.

Frequently asked questions

Is a streak better than a weekly goal?

It depends on your temperament. A daily streak is simple and easy to see, but sensitive to slips. A weekly goal is more forgiving. Silverman and Barasch mention longer time frames as one way to make a streak more resilient.

What should I do when my streak breaks?

Start again the very next day and don’t try to catch up. One missed day won’t ruin a habit. More in Missed a day?

Sources

1. Silverman, J., Barasch, A. (2023, online 2022). On or off track: How (broken) streaks affect consumer decisions. Journal of Consumer Research, 49(6), 1095–1117. doi:10.1093/jcr/ucac029
2. Kahneman, D., Tversky, A. (1979). Prospect theory: An analysis of decision under risk. Econometrica, 47(2), 263–291. doi:10.2307/1914185
3. Kivetz, R., Urminsky, O., Zheng, Y. (2006). The goal-gradient hypothesis resurrected: Purchase acceleration, illusionary goal progress, and customer retention. Journal of Marketing Research, 43(1), 39–58. doi:10.1509/jmkr.43.1.39
4. Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, C. H. M., Potts, H. W. W., Wardle, J. (2010, online 2009). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), 998–1009. doi:10.1002/ejsp.674
5. Etkin, J. (2016). The hidden cost of personal quantification. Journal of Consumer Research, 42(6), 967–984. doi:10.1093/jcr/ucv095
6. Patel, M. S., Benjamin, E. J., Volpp, K. G., et al. (2017). Effect of a game-based intervention designed to enhance social incentives to increase physical activity among families: The BE FIT randomized clinical trial. JAMA Internal Medicine, 177(11), 1586–1593. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.3458
7. Patel, M. S., Small, D. S., Harrison, J. D., et al. (2019). Effectiveness of behaviorally designed gamification interventions with social incentives for increasing physical activity among overweight and obese adults across the United States: The STEP UP randomized clinical trial. JAMA Internal Medicine, 179(12), 1624–1632. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.3505