Sanne obtained a replication grant from NWO to replicate the research by Lally et al. from 2010 into the time it takes for habits to form. The study by Lally et al. has been very influential, in science and in the media. The finding of median 66 days it took to form a new habit is often cited. The study will be replicated in four locations with a team of researchers (Jaap Murre, Lotte Brinkhof, Annette Horstmann, Paul Fletcher, Maik Bieleke, and Julia Schüler), on a larger sample, and the researchers hope to gain insight into how habits are formed.
By funding replication NWO wants to contribute to increasing the transparency of research and the quality of how results are reported. The funding instrument aims at cornerstone research that in the past formed the basis for follow-up research or have assumed an important place in education, policy-making or the public debate.