The psychology(overview)
​Why does this approach work? It’s not just about playing guitar—it’s about understanding how our minds drive behaviour and the power of habit. My approach leverages proven psychological principles to help you build a consistent practice routine, stay motivated, and achieve your goals. By tapping into natural human tendencies—like our aversion to loss, desire for consistency, and love of progress—this method makes daily guitar practice feel achievable, rewarding, and, most importantly, sustainable. Below, I have broken down the key psychological concepts that form the foundation of the 'Get A Guitar Habit' program, showing why they’re so effective in helping you create lasting change. These are very brief summaries - a far more detailed research page with references is available here
Sunk Cost Fallacy
The cost of this course is risk free as a full refund, no questions asked, is offered. This leverages the concept of the sunk cost fallacy. This psychological principle means that once participants have invested money, they are more likely to stick with the program to avoid the feeling of wasting their investment. By committing financially, participants increase their personal stake in the program, enhancing motivation to maintain daily practice and achieve their goals. As I am in early testing phase (early 2025) this is currently set at £50 for the course.
Commitment and Consistency
People like to be consistent with what they have committed to, both publicly and privately. By agreeing to a financial commitment and daily check-ins, participants are more likely to stay true to their intentions, leveraging their desire for consistency.
Social Proof
Sharing progress on YouTube or even knowing that their progress is being monitored adds social proof. Participants are more motivated to succeed because they want to be seen as reliable and successful by others.
Loss Aversion
People feel the pain of losing money more intensely than the pleasure of gaining it. By holding money upfront or in escrow, participants are motivated to avoid the discomfort of losing their funds, which helps them stay consistent.
Gamification and Reward
Tracking the daily habit helps visualise progress and taps into reward bias. Seeing tangible progress like streaks or levels motivates participants to stay engaged and feel a sense of achievement.
Endowment Effect
As participants make progress, they begin to see it as something they "own." The endowment effect makes them value their progress more simply because they've invested time and effort, increasing their motivation to continue.
Temporal Motivation Theory
By having a defined time frame for both the daily practice (30 minutes) and for the length of the programme (66 days) participants are more motivated to achieve the goal, as it feels more attainable with set time frames to work to.
Positive Reinforcement
Consistent check-ins and feedback provide positive reinforcement. Associating daily practice with immediate rewards such as progress and praise helps keep participants engaged.