ÜBERMAD

Rule · how often

Every day

Daily repetition.

A woman in a striped jumper and checked trousers walks in place on a worn stone slab in front of a rising sun.

Studies (20)

  1. Paper

    A tiny daily exercise goal added up to more exercise among those who stayed
    TestedHelped

    Three minutes a day plus two short weekly sessions gave more exercise than two long ones, among those who stayed.

    Randomised trial of 142 UK adults who exercised very little · vs two 30-minute sessions a week · they rated themselves · ⚠ only counted people who finished

  2. Paper

    Students who ranked tomorrow's six tasks each evening said they put things off less
    UsedNo comparison

    After two weeks of ranking the next day's six tasks each evening, students said they put things off less.

    Small randomised trial of 30 Indonesian students active in student clubs · no comparison group · they rated themselves · ⚠ groups weren't properly compared; numbers unreliable; summary claims more than the results show

  3. Paper

    Texts to parents helped bedtime routines for children's teeth, but not twice-daily brushing
    UsedNo difference

    Three short texts a week to parents didn't clearly get more children's teeth brushed twice a day than usual care.

    Randomised trial of 154 parents of young children with tooth decay · vs parents who got usual dental care and advice · they rated themselves · ⚠ not yet checked by other scientists; numbers unreliable

  4. Paper

    Daily texts and prize draws didn't clearly help people take blood-pressure pills
    UsedNo difference

    Daily text reminders, on top of a plan to take pills after a set routine, didn't clearly help pill-taking.

    Small randomised trial of 60 adults with high blood pressure in Los Angeles · vs usual care with the same leaflet and pill bottle · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ numbers unreliable; many people dropped out; summary claims more than the results show

    UsedNo difference

    Daily text reminders didn't clearly help people take their pills within an hour of their chosen routine.

    Small randomised trial of 60 adults with high blood pressure in Los Angeles · vs usual care with the same leaflet and pill bottle · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ numbers unreliable; many people dropped out; summary claims more than the results show

  5. Paper

    Group habit meetings made daily brisk walks feel more automatic, still two years later
    TestedHelped

    Group meetings on a daily brisk walk made walking feel more automatic than tip sheets did, still two years later.

    Randomised trial of 618 adults with metabolic syndrome in the US · vs a Fitbit, monthly tip sheets and phone calls · they rated themselves

    TestedNo difference

    The same programme made pausing before reacting feel no more automatic than a Fitbit and tip sheets did.

    Randomised trial of 618 adults with metabolic syndrome in the US · vs a Fitbit, monthly tip sheets and phone calls · they rated themselves

  6. Paper

    A bedtime if-then plan made each night beat one made once
    TestedHelped

    Making a fresh if-then bedtime plan each night got people to bed closer to their planned time than planning once.

    Randomised trial of 297 UK adults who wanted to sleep better · vs the same plan made once at the week's start · they rated themselves

  7. Paper

    Unclear if group mindfulness helped students put off schoolwork less than doing nothing
    TestedNo difference

    After eight weeks of group mindfulness, students put off schoolwork less, but it's unclear if that beat doing nothing.

    Small randomised trial of 62 students at a university in China · vs students who kept their usual routines · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable

  8. Paper

    Eight weeks of group mindfulness helped teens put off schoolwork less
    TestedHelped

    Teens in eight weekly group mindfulness sessions with home practice put off schoolwork less than those who got nothing.

    Small randomised trial of 30 high-school students in Iran · vs students who got nothing · they rated themselves · ⚠ results look too good to be true; numbers unreliable

  9. Paper

    Ten weeks of group meditation left students no different from a waiting group
    TestedNo difference

    Students who had ten weeks of group meditation ended up putting things off about as much as the waiting group.

    Small randomised trial of 42 first-year university students in Spain · vs students who were still waiting for the course · they rated themselves · ⚠ only counted people who finished; summary claims more than the results show

  10. Paper

    Class lessons on food and cancer got more teens to eat fruit and vegetables
    UsedHelped

    After teachers gave lessons on how food links to cancer, more teens ate fruit and vegetables each day.

    Large randomised trial of 1,096 teenage school students in India · vs schools that kept their normal lessons · they rated themselves · ⚠ whole groups were assigned, not people; numbers unreliable; many people dropped out

  11. Paper

    A glucose monitor didn't clearly help people keep to an 8-hour eating window
    UsedNo comparison

    Sensor users kept to the 8-hour eating window on slightly more days than others, but this was never tested.

    Very small randomised trial of 22 healthy adults in New Zealand · no comparison group · they rated themselves · ⚠ student thesis, not checked by other scientists; only counted people who finished; numbers unreliable; summary claims more than the results show; groups weren't properly compared

  12. Paper

    Ticking off daily pills in an app helped people finish treatment and get retested
    UsedHelped

    With an app to tick off daily pills, 95 in 100 took most doses, against 79 with standard advice.

    Randomised trial of 254 adults treated for a stomach infection in China · vs standard advice and two phone calls · behaviour was recorded

  13. Paper

    Health-worker visits and daily texts didn't help teens take their medicine more
    TestedNo difference

    Health-worker visits on goals and cues plus daily texts didn't help teens take their medicine more than usual care.

    Small randomised trial of 50 teens with sickle cell disease and their parents · vs teens who got their usual care · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ only a short summary available

  14. Paper

    Automatic daily feedback on study goals cut putting things off a little
    UsedHelped

    Students who got daily feedback on their goals and planning tips put things off a bit less than diary-only students.

    Randomised trial of 244 university students in Germany studying for exams · vs the same daily diary without feedback · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable

    UsedHelped

    On days after feedback on goal progress, students put things off slightly less, with or without strategy tips.

    Randomised trial of 244 university students in Germany studying for exams · vs days without feedback · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable

  15. Paper

    An automatic computer coach worked about as well as a human coach online
    UsedNo comparison

    After 12 weeks of weekly online lessons and a daily diary, students said they put things off less. There was no untreated group to compare with.

    Randomised trial of 233 German university students who put things off · no comparison group · they rated themselves · ⚠ many people dropped out

  16. Paper

    An online course on handling hard feelings helped students put things off less
    TestedHelped

    A 9-week online course on handling hard feelings helped students put things off less than the waiting group.

    Randomised trial of 148 university students in Germany · vs students still waiting for the course · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable

  17. Paper

    An online course on daily rhythms didn't make routines more regular than emailed reading
    TestedNo difference

    An online course with a daily log made routines no more regular than emailed reading on the same topics.

    Small randomised trial of 47 adults with bipolar disorder · vs people who got emailed reading on the same topics · they rated themselves · ⚠ many people dropped out; numbers unreliable; summary claims more than the results show

  18. Paper

    A habit app for weight loss didn't clearly beat waiting
    UsedNo difference

    Plans, logs and daily reminders in an app did not clearly help people eat well more than waiting.

    Small randomised trial of 81 overweight adults in the UK · vs people who waited for the app · they rated themselves · ⚠ many people dropped out; numbers unreliable; only counted people who finished; groups weren't properly compared

  19. Paper

    Two group talks and daily phone swipe practice helped people put things off less
    TestedHelped

    Two group talks and two weeks of daily app practice helped people put things off less than waiting.

    Small randomised trial of 31 young adults in Germany, mostly students · vs people who waited and only filled in questionnaires · they rated themselves · ⚠ only counted people who finished; numbers unreliable

  20. Paper

    Two weeks of daily practice with bad feelings helped adults put things off less
    TestedHelped

    Two weeks of daily 10-minute practice in facing bad feelings about tasks helped people put things off less than waiting.

    Small randomised trial of 83 working adults in Germany · vs people still waiting for the training · they rated themselves · ⚠ only counted people who finished; numbers unreliable

Often used with it