Habit

Learned automatic responses. Habits are response patterns of behaviours performed subconsciously because of context cues, and without the need for conscious goals. Not the same as ritual.

A habit forms as a result of the following process: cue-craving-response-reward. For instance, the cue may be the time of day (3:30pm, tea time), which leads to a craving (desire to attain a moment of comfort, a salty snack), prompting a response (reaching out for a bag of potato chips), to attain a reward (a satisfying crunch from the chips).

Reference:

Duhigg, C. (2012). The power of habit: Why we do what we do in life and business. Random House Trade Paperbacks

Neal, D. T., Wood, W., & Quinn, J. M. (2006). Habits—A repeat performance. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15(4), 198-202. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2006.00435.x