Two separate brain circuits control how habits form

The transition from a deliberate, goal-directed action to an automatic habit is not a single process. Instead, the brain uses two distinct neural pathways to manage how we function on autopilot. Researchers at Kyoto University identified these mechanisms by tracking the brains of mice during an accelerated four day training protocol. They discovered that one circuit determines if a behavior becomes a habit, while a completely different circuit dictates how often that habit is actually performed.