ÜBERMAD

Rule · where

Put a visible cue where you'll do it

A sticker, poster, object or wearable prompt at the point of action.

A man in a checked shirt and apron drinks a glass of water at a counter beneath a round sticker on a cupboard.

Studies (8)

  1. Paper

    Home reminder stickers and app quizzes built stronger self-care habits in adults with diabetes
    TestedHelped

    With home reminders and app quizzes, self-care felt more automatic after 12 weeks than with plain app lessons.

    Randomised trial of 293 adults with type 2 diabetes in China · vs plain app lessons on diabetes · they rated themselves

    TestedHelped

    With home reminders and app quizzes, people did their self-care on more days than with plain app lessons.

    Randomised trial of 293 adults with type 2 diabetes in China · vs plain app lessons on diabetes · they rated themselves

  2. Paper

    A sticker food chart made food variety a habit, but children didn't eat better
    TestedHelped

    Carers who got a sticker food chart for the kitchen wall more often said they noticed and counted food groups.

    Large randomised trial of 2,682 parents of young children in rural India · vs the same feeding training without the chart · they rated themselves · ⚠ whole groups were assigned, not people; summary claims more than the results show; numbers unreliable

    TestedNo difference

    Children of carers with the chart were not fed a wider range of foods than other children.

    Large randomised trial of 2,682 parents of young children in rural India · vs the same feeding training without the chart · they rated themselves · ⚠ whole groups were assigned, not people; summary claims more than the results show; numbers unreliable

  3. Paper

    Men who planned gym times and trained with coaches were more active
    TestedHelped

    Men who planned set exercise times, laid out gym clothes and trained with coaches moved more than men without it.

    Trial, groups not picked at random of 139 inactive men at a Saudi university · vs men who got no programme · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ numbers unreliable

  4. Paper

    Lessons on exercising at a set time made no clear difference for heart patients
    TestedNo difference

    Group lessons on exercise at a set time with cues at home made no clear change to weekly exercise.

    Very small randomised trial of 13 heart patients starting cardiac rehab in Canada · vs group meetings about healthy eating, same gym · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable; summary claims more than the results show

  5. Paper

    A school plan for bedtime brushing made brushing more automatic for kids, parents said
    TestedHelped

    Parents said brushing was automatic for more kids with a bedtime plan than for kids given one lesson.

    Trial of 164 children aged 7 to 8 in Indonesia · vs children who had one usual lesson on teeth · they rated themselves · ⚠ unclear how groups were picked; numbers unreliable; summary claims more than the results show

    TestedMixed

    Plaque was lower than after one usual lesson at one month, but higher at two months.

    Trial of 164 children aged 7 to 8 in Indonesia · vs children who had one usual lesson on teeth · they rated themselves · ⚠ unclear how groups were picked; numbers unreliable; summary claims more than the results show

  6. Paper

    Swapping sugary drinks for diet drinks worked no better than swapping them for water
    UsedNo difference

    Swapping sugary drinks for diet drinks cut sugary drinks no more than swapping them for water.

    Randomised trial of 136 adults who drink a lot of sugary drinks · vs people who swapped to water instead · they rated themselves · ⚠ only counted people who finished; numbers unreliable; uneven outlier exclusions between groups

    UsedNo difference

    Sugary drinks felt no less automatic after a swap to diet drinks than after a swap to water.

    Randomised trial of 136 adults who drink a lot of sugary drinks · vs people who swapped to water instead · they rated themselves · ⚠ only counted people who finished; numbers unreliable; uneven outlier exclusions between groups

  7. Paper

    Health signs by the stairs got slightly fewer people to take the escalator
    TestedHelped

    With a short health message by the stairs, fewer people took the escalator at all four places.

    Large trial, groups not picked at random of 115,062 people at stairs and escalators · vs times with no sign at the same place · behaviour was recorded

    TestedMixed

    Alone, the design did nothing at first, but after the message it cut escalator use at two of three places.

    Large trial, groups not picked at random of 115,062 people at stairs and escalators · vs times with no sign at the same place · behaviour was recorded

  8. Paper

    A kitchen poster and emails helped students build a new cleaning habit
    TestedHelped

    With a kitchen poster and emails, the new habit felt more automatic than it did for the diary group.

    Small randomised trial of 45 university students in Australia · vs the same sponge and unrelated diary emails · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable

    UsedNo difference

    For the group with an email every 3 days, the habit felt no more automatic than for the 5-day group.

    Small randomised trial of 45 university students in Australia · vs reminder emails every 5 days · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable

    TestedHelped

    Poster and email groups cleaned the cloth on 9 to 11 more days, against 3 more for the diary group.

    Small randomised trial of 45 university students in Australia · vs the same sponge and unrelated diary emails · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable

    UsedNo difference

    An email every 3 days got the cloth cleaned on no more days than an email every 5 days.

    Small randomised trial of 45 university students in Australia · vs reminder emails every 5 days · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable

Often used with it