What are patterns? Understand Decision Making & Behavior

Patterns are everywhere. From how we think to how we act, patterns shape our lives, especially in decision making. But what exactly are patterns, and why do they matter in psychology?

What Are Patterns?

A pattern is something that repeats in a predictable way. In psychology, patterns help us process information, form habits, and make decisions. Our brains are designed to detect and follow patterns because they reduce mental effort, allowing us to navigate life efficiently.

Patterns exist in many forms:

• Cognitive patterns: The ways we think, reason, and solve problems.
• Behavioral patterns: Our repeated actions and habits.
• Emotional patterns: How we respond to certain situations.

Recognizing these patterns is key to understanding why we think and act the way we do.

The Psychology Behind Patterns

Daniel Kahneman, in Thinking, Fast and Slow, explains that our brains use two types of thinking:

• System 1 (Fast Thinking): Quick, automatic, and based on past experiences. It allows us to react instantly but often follows pre-existing mental patterns, leading to biases and errors.
• System 2 (Slow Thinking): More deliberate and logical. It helps us break patterns and think critically.

If you haven’t already, please go and read our first blog to understand these two systems in more detail.

Most of the time, we rely on System 1, which works by identifying familiar patterns. While this makes decision-making fast, it can also cause errors like:

• Cognitive biases: Mental shortcuts that lead to irrational decisions (e.g., confirmation bias, where we only pay attention to information that supports our beliefs).
• Stereotyping: Grouping people based on assumed patterns rather than individual traits.
• Automatic behaviors: Acting without conscious thought, sometimes in ways that are unhelpful or unhealthy.

Understanding these patterns allows us to analyze how our minds create meaning and structure from the world around us.

How Patterns Shape Our Behavior

Our daily habits are structured around behavioral patterns. James Clear, in Atomic Habits, explains how habits form through a psychological cycle:

1. Cue – A trigger that starts the pattern (e.g., waking up).
2. Routine – The behavior that follows (e.g., checking your phone).
3. Reward – The outcome that reinforces the behavior (e.g., feeling informed or entertained).

Over time, repeated actions become ingrained, making them harder to change. This is why people tend to stick to routines even when they are no longer beneficial.

The Influence of Repeated Behaviors

Behavioral patterns are not just about habits; they extend to the way we interact with others, approach challenges, and handle stress. Repeated behaviors create neural pathways in the brain, reinforcing specific responses to situations. For example:

• If someone grows up in a household where expressing emotions leads to conflict, they may develop a pattern of suppressing their feelings to avoid confrontation. Over time, this response becomes automatic, making it difficult for them to express their emotions even in safe environments.
• A child who consistently receives encouragement and praise when trying new things may develop a pattern of embracing challenges with confidence, viewing setbacks as learning opportunities rather than failures.

The principle of reinforcement plays a significant role in behavioral patterns. When an action results in a positive outcome, we are more likely to repeat it. This is seen in operant conditioning, as described by psychologist B.F. Skinner, where behaviors that are rewarded tend to persist while those that are punished or ignored tend to fade.

Procrastination Is Not Laziness—It’s a Reaction to Psychological Patterns

Procrastination is not about laziness—it’s a learned response to stress, fear, or discomfort. When faced with a difficult task, the brain seeks immediate relief, following familiar avoidance patterns instead of confronting the challenge. Over time, this avoidance becomes automatic, making procrastination feel like an instinct rather than a choice. This response is often linked to fear of failure, perfectionism, or difficulty regulating emotions.

For example, a student who associates studying with stress may habitually delay their work, turning to entertainment for short-term relief. A perfectionist might avoid starting projects, fearing they won’t meet high standards. Someone who grew up in a household where last-minute efforts were rewarded may develop a habit of delaying tasks until urgency forces action. These learned patterns shape how we approach responsibilities, often without conscious awareness, reinforcing procrastination as a habitual response.

Patterns and Our Reactions

Patterns do more than influence how we behave—they shape the instant reactions we have to various situations. A reaction is the outcome of a learned pattern. While this quick response can be life-saving in emergencies, it can also result in impulsive reactions that may not always be beneficial.

For example, someone who grows up eating sugary snacks whenever they feel stressed may develop a lifelong pattern of emotional eating. When faced with stress in adulthood, their first reaction might be to reach for unhealthy food, reinforcing a cycle that can be hard to break.

Similarly, a person who frequently stays up late watching TV or scrolling through their phone might establish a habit of poor sleep hygiene. Over time, their body and mind associate bedtime with stimulation rather than rest, making it difficult to fall asleep naturally.

On the positive side, a child who regularly sees their parents engaging in physical exercise may develop an instinctive habit of staying active. They might associate movement with well-being and naturally incorporate exercise into their daily life.

Another beneficial example is someone who grows up in an environment where gratitude is practiced. If they routinely express appreciation for small things, they may develop an automatic tendency to find positives in situations, leading to a more optimistic outlook on life.up in an environment where gratitude is practiced. If they routinely express appreciation for small things, they may develop an automatic tendency to find positives in situations, leading to a more optimistic outlook on life.

Emotional and Behavioral Links

Just as we develop habits in behavior, we also develop patterns in emotional responses. For example, someone who grew up in a stressful environment may develop an automatic emotional pattern of anxiety when facing uncertainty. These patterns shape our reactions, relationships, and even our self-perception.

Emotional patterns can be seen in how we respond to different situations. If a person repeatedly experiences rejection, they may develop a pattern of expecting rejection even when it is not present. These repeated emotional responses can define how we see the world and interact with others.

The Role of Patterns in Decision-Making

Patterns are essential to how we make decisions. They allow us to predict outcomes, recognize familiar situations, and act quickly. However, because patterns rely on past experiences, they can sometimes mislead us.

For example, a student who has repeatedly performed poorly on math tests may develop a pattern of assuming they are bad at math, even if their current abilities have improved. This learned pattern, known as learned helplessness, can cause them to avoid challenges and underestimate their potential, even when they have the ability to succeed.

Similarly, patterns in thinking influence our perception of risk. The availability heuristic is a cognitive bias where we judge the likelihood of events based on how easily examples come to mind. If someone hears frequent news reports about plane crashes, they may overestimate the risk of flying, despite statistical evidence showing that flying is safer than driving.

Conclusion

Patterns influence every part of our thinking, behavior, and emotions. They allow us to function efficiently but can also lead to biases, habits, and automatic emotional responses. By studying these patterns, we gain insight into how our minds create order, structure, and meaning in an often-unpredictable world.