The DOI matches its Crossref record; 152 of the 152 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 47 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.
The Intention–Behavior Gap
Open accessAbstract
Bitter personal experience and meta‐analysis converge on the conclusion that people do not always do the things that they intend to do. This paper synthesizes research on intention–behavior relations to address questions such as: How big is the intention–behavior gap? When are intentions more or less likely to get translated into action? What kinds of problems prevent people from realizing their intentions? And what strategies show promise in closing the intention–behavior gap and helping people do the things that they intend to do?
Overview
AI snapshot
Written from the paper’s full text.
TL;DR
This review synthesizes evidence on the intention–behavior gap, concluding that intentions are translated into action approximately one-half of the time and that “inclined abstainers” mainly drive the gap. It identifies intention qualities, self-regulatory problems across goal pursuit, and tools such as if-then plans and progress monitoring that can help close the gap.
Key findings
- Meta-analytic evidence shows intentions predict behavior with a large sample-weighted average correlation (*r*+ = 0.53; Sheeran, 2002, 422 studies), but experimentally changing intentions produces only a small-to-medium change in behavior (*d*+ = .36; Webb & Sheeran, 2006); the gap is mainly due to people who intend to act but do not (“inclined abstainers”).
- Intention realization depends on goal dimensions, the basis of intention, and intention properties; intention stability is described as the best indicator of whether an intention will be realized, and stable intentions moderated intention–behavior consistency even across measures taken 6 years apart (Conner, Norman, & Bell, 2002).
- Self-regulatory problems occur in initiating, maintaining, and closing goal pursuit; for example, after a delay of just 5 seconds, 8% of young, healthy participants forgot to enact an intended behavior, rising to 24% when attention was divided (Einstein et al., 2003).
- If-then plans improved goal attainment and behavioral performance compared with merely forming intentions (*d*+ = 0.65; 94 studies; Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006), and progress-monitoring interventions produced a large increase in monitoring frequency (*d*+ = 1.98) that led to a small-to-medium behavior change (*d*+ = .40; 138 interventions; Harkin et al., 2016).
Methods
- Design: narrative review/synthesis of research on intention–behavior relations, not a primary empirical study.
- Data or sample: synthesizes prior correlational studies, experiments, meta-analyses, and statistical simulations; no original sample or dataset is reported.
- Main analysis: organizes evidence around (a) qualities of intention, (b) self-regulatory problems and tasks in realizing intentions across initiation, maintenance, and closure, and (c) tools for intention realization.
Limitations
- The paper states that research on goal dimensions has not yet been integrated with research on the basis of intention or studies of intention properties, and that formal tests of moderation of the intention–behavior relation remain to be undertaken for many interventions.
- The paper notes debate about the magnitude and interpretation of the ego-depletion effect and more cautious assessments of some self-control, glucose, and training approaches.
- Evident from the text: as a narrative review, it does not report systematic search or selection criteria or a formal meta-analysis, so its conclusions rest on the cited literature.
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Claims the paper makes
0 of 47 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“not always do the things that they intend to do”
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIn the paper
“Numerous correlational studies indicate that intentions predict behavior.”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Sheeran (2002)
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIn the paper
“found a 'large' sample-weighted average correlation between intentions measured at one time-point and measures of behavior taken at a subsequent time-point ( r+ = 0.53)”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Sheeran (2002)
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIn the paper
“keeping track of progress (e.g., using a diary) increases the likelihood that intentions are achieved”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Harkin et al., 2016
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesNone of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“do not consistently moderate the intention-behavior relationship”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Armitage & Conner, 2001
- Not checked yetcites Sheeran, 2002
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesThe paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Experience with a behavior, or how often a person has performed the relevant behavior in the past, appears to have paradoxical effects on intention-behavior relations.”
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIn the paper
“changing intentions does not guarantee behavior change”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Fife-Schaw, Sheeran, & Norman, 2007
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesThe paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Even if people do remember their intention, good opportunities to act may be missed.”
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesNone of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Intentions based more on feelings about performing the behavior (affective attitudes) than on thoughts about the likely consequences of acting (cognitive attitudes) are also associated with improved prediction of behavior”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Conner et al., 2016
- Not checked yetcites Keer et al., Conner, Putte, & Neijens, 2014
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIn the paper
“optimistic goal setting can constitute a self-control strategy that helps people to deal with obstacles during goal pursuit”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Zhang and Fishbach (2010)
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passes
- It may state two separate claims as one. 13
- Probably not a substantial claim. 3
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Goal pursuit can also be derailed by competing goals, bad habits, and disruptive thoughts and feelings.”
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Forgetting to act is commonplace and has been implicated in failures to take medication as planned”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites O'Carroll et al., 2014
- Not checked yetcites Zogg et al., 2012
- Not checked yetcites Corradi et al., 2013
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“greater feelings of moral obligation and anticipated regret about failing to act increase the likelihood that intentions are enacted”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Abraham & Sheeran, 2004
- Not checked yetcites Conner et al., 2006
- Not checked yetcites Godin, Conner, & Sheeran, 2005
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The nature of the focal goal, the basis of intention, and properties of intention each influence the quality of the respective intention and its likelihood of enactment.”
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“these processes alone do not guarantee intention realization”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006, 2009
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Set goals often are over-optimistic which can reduce the likelihood that they are achieved.”
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Self-regulatory problems may be encountered during different phases of goal pursuit, and include problems (a) getting started, (b) keeping ongoing goal pursuit on track, and (c) bringing goal pursuit to a successful close”
Load-bearingStrength:hedged· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The third key problem that people may encounter when striving to achieve their intentions is failing to bring goal pursuit to a successful close.”
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“If-then plans, interventions that prompt progress monitoring, and more recent training approaches should each prove helpful in accomplishing these tasks.”
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The various problems that create a gap between intentions and behavior are neither inevitable nor irresolvable, however.”
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The intention-behavior gap is large -current evidence suggests that intentions get translated into action approximately one-half of the time.”
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes? Based: unclearIt may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Forming implementation intentions has also been shown to help to overcome a variety of unwanted influences including distractions”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Wieber et al., 2015
- Not checked yetcites Armitage & Arden, 2012
- Not checked yetcites Adriaanse et al., 2011
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Forming if-then plans is a highly effective means of accomplishing self-regulatory tasks and reducing the intention-behavior gap.”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“three tasks must be accomplished to secure intention realization -people need to initiate, maintain, and close goal pursuit”
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“First, the intention to use a treatment target or delivery mode does not fully translate to actual utilization behavior, i.e., the intention-behavior gap (60).”
From Mental health services for German university students: acceptance of intervention targets and preference for delivery modes (2024) · cites this paper as [60]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe check wasn’t confident either way, so it gives no verdict — never disputed.
In the citing paper
“first, Canadian students with high self-reported symptoms use more health care services (60).”
From Mental health services for German university students: acceptance of intervention targets and preference for delivery modes (2024) · cites this paper as [60]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn the citing paper
“Additionally, there is a widely recognized intention–behavior gap, where positive intentions are not always antecedent for actual behavior [91].”
From Explaining adults’ mental health help-seeking through the lens of the theory of planned behavior: A scoping review (2022) · cites this paper as [91]
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“The observed effects may be attributable to the same goal being of greater difficulty in lower socio-economic status groups due to variations in the opportunities, resources, ability, skills and time and effort required to realize the goal (Sheeran and Webb, 2016; Schüz, 2017).”
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I’m still standing: A longitudinal study on the effect of a default nudge
Venema, T. A. G., Kroese, F. M., & de Ridder, D. T. D. (2017) · Psychology and Health · doi:10.1080/08870446.2017.1385786 · Cited by 134
“The so-called intention–behaviour gap is a phenomenon that is frequently observed in health behaviour (Sheeran, 2002; Sheeran & Webb, 2016).”
BackgroundLin, N., & Roberts, K. R. (2020) · International Journal of Hospitality Management · doi:10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102612 · Cited by 139
Cultivating Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Socioecological Perspective
Zhang, N., Yang, S., & Jia, P. (2021) · Annual Review of Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-030221-031857 · Cited by 145
Mo, S., Lupoli, M. J., Newman, A., & Umphress, E. E. (2022) · Journal of Organizational Behavior · doi:10.1002/job.2617 · Cited by 144
A nudge in the right direction: the role of food choice architecture in changing populations' diets
Ensaff, H. (2021) · Proceedings of The Nutrition Society · doi:10.1017/s0029665120007983 · Cited by 124
“Research confirms the importance of intentions in predicting behaviour((27,28)), and importantly evidence also indicates that the intention–behaviour gap is large((29)), with individuals encountering difficulties in translating intentions.”
BackgroundWorry, Risk Perception, and Controllability Predict Intentions Toward COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors
Sobkow, A., Zaleskiewicz, T., Petrova, D., Garcia-Retamero, R., & Traczyk, J. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.582720 · Cited by 106
“Meta-analyses (Sheeran, 2002; Webb and Sheeran, 2006; Sheeran and Webb, 2016) showed that while intentions and behavior are usually moderately correlated, there is a gap between these two constructs (people do not always do what they declared they would do).”
BackgroundThe importance of behavioral outcomes
Hulland, J. S., & Houston, M. B. (2021) · Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science · doi:10.1007/s11747-020-00764-w · Cited by 120
Čavojová, V., Šrol, J., & Mikušková, E. B. (2020) · Journal of Health Psychology · doi:10.1177/1359105320962266 · Cited by 121
“Lastly, the intention–behavior gap has often been observed, especially in health-related behavior (Baumann et al., 2015; Cobb Leonard and Scott-Jones, 2010; Sheeran and Webb, 2016).”
BackgroundKaspar, K. (2020) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/21613 · Cited by 117
“Although previous research [44] showed that a motivation-behavior gap can occur because “people do not always do the things that they intend to do,” motivation supports effective health measures.”
BackgroundAmann, J., Sleigh, J., & Vayena, E. (2021) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0246524 · Cited by 118
Information disclosure in e-commerce: A systematic review and agenda for future research
Kolotylo-Kulkarni, M., Xia, W., & Dhillon, G. S. (2021) · Journal of Business Research · doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.12.006 · Cited by 124
The Effectiveness of Interventions for Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake: A Systematic Review
Batteux, E., Mills, F., Jones, L. F., Symons, C., & Weston, D. (2022) · Vaccines · doi:10.3390/vaccines10030386 · Cited by 113
“The table specifies whether interventions have been tested on real behaviour and/or intentions, given that intentions do not necessarily translate into behaviour [53].”
BackgroundAdams, C., Gringart, E., & Strobel, N. (2022) · Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1186/s13643-022-02034-y · Cited by 115
“Additionally, there is a widely recognized intention–behavior gap, where positive intentions are not always antecedent for actual behavior [91].”
BackgroundHousehold food waste-how to avoid it? An integrative review
van Geffen, L., van Herpen, E., & van Trijp, H. (2020) · Food Waste Management · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-20561-4_2 · Cited by 112
“Setting an intention to change a behaviour does not equal actually performing it (Sheeran and Webb 2016) because people have multiple (food-related) goals they aim to act upon; these include ensuring that all household members have enough to eat, eat safe foods and enjoy eating (Hebrok and Boks…”
BackgroundWhat makes fashion consumers “click”? Generation of eWoM engagement in social media
Ananda, A. S., Hernández-García, Á., Acquila-Natale, E., & Lamberti, L. (2019) · Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics · doi:10.1108/apjml-03-2018-0115 · Cited by 136
Fishman, J., Lushin, V., & Mandell, D. S. (2020) · Implementation Science Communications · doi:10.1186/s43058-020-00050-4 · Cited by 115
Changing Behavior Using the Health Action Process Approach
Schwarzer, R., & Hamilton, K. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108677318.007 · Cited by 114
Triggering effects of mobile video marketing in nature tourism: Media richness perspective
Alamäki, A. V., Pesonen, J. A., & Dirin, A. (2019) · Information Processing & Management · doi:10.1016/j.ipm.2019.01.003 · Cited by 135
Individuals’ intentions to engage in last chance tourism: applying the value-belief-norm model
Denley, T. J., Woosnam, K. M., Ribeiro, M. A., Boley, B. B., Hehir, C., & Abrams, J. (2020) · Journal of Sustainable Tourism · doi:10.1080/09669582.2020.1762623 · Cited by 108
“…some work has demonstrated some significant relationships between behavioral intentions and actual behavior (Oreg & Katz-Gerro, 2006; Nigbur et al., 2010; Whitley et al., 2018), others have suggested that explaining behaviors from behavioral intent is not always possible (Sheeran & Webb, 2016).”
BackgroundThe Wisdom Researchers and the Elephant: An Integrative Model of Wise Behavior
Glück, J., & Weststrate, N. M. (2022) · Personality and Social Psychology Review · doi:10.1177/10888683221094650 · Cited by 125
“Moreover, we believe that a stronger focus on wise behavior is important for bringing wisdom research closer to the real world given that both cognition and personality can be unreliable predictors of actual behavior (e.g., Hassan et al., 2016; Sheeran & Webb, 2016).”
BackgroundDoll, C. M., Michel, C., Rosen, M., Osman, N., SCHIMMELMANN, B. G., & Schultze‐Lutter, F. (2021) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-021-03435-4 · Cited by 114
“Yet, the gap between intention and behaviour is well known [54] and clearly observable in our study, in which 84.”
BackgroundExperimental manipulation of extraverted and introverted behavior and its effects on well-being.
Margolis, S., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2019) · Journal of Experimental Psychology General · doi:10.1037/xge0000668 · Cited by 105
“In addition, participants were asked to list five specific ways in which they planned to change their behavior, as previous research has demonstrated that this additional instruction can foster larger shifts in behavior (Hudson & Fraley, 2015; cf. Sheeran & Webb, 2016).”
Trends in Health Care Worker Intentions to Receive a COVID-19 Vaccine and Reasons for Hesitancy
Meyer, M. N., Gjorgjieva, T., & Rosica, D. (2021) · JAMA Network Open · doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.5344 · Cited by 111
Swart, R., Levers, C., Davis, J., & Verburg, P. H. (2023) · One Earth · doi:10.1016/j.oneear.2023.10.028 · Cited by 142
Smith, L. E., Potts, H. W., Amlȏt, R., Fear, N. T., Michie, S., & Rubin, G. J. (2020) · doi:10.1101/2020.09.15.20191957 · Cited by 296
Identifying Bias in Self-Reported Pro-Environmental Behavior
Koller, K., Pankowska, P., & Brick, C. (2022) · Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.cresp.2022.100087 · Cited by 133
Geiger, S. M., Fischer, D., Schrader, U., & Grossman, P. (2019) · Environment and Behavior · doi:10.1177/0013916519880897 · Cited by 104
“The first potential effect of mindfulness is the reduction of the attitude– behavior gap (Ajzen, 1991) or the intention–behavior gap (Sheeran & Webb, 2016).”
BackgroundGibson, L. P., Magnan, R. E., Kramer, E. B., & Bryan, A. D. (2021) · Annals of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1093/abm/kaab041 · Cited by 105
“Previous behavior and PBC also did not moderate this relationship, possibly due to the small amount of variance in previous behavior and PBC at baseline [16].”
MethodResultThe theory of planned behavior and knowledge sharing
Nguyen, M., Nham, P. T., & Hoang, V.-N. V. (2019) · VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems · doi:10.1108/vjikms-10-2018-0086 · Cited by 98
Geiger, S. J., Brick, C., Nalborczyk, L., Bosshard, A., & Jostmann, N. B. (2021) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101694 · Cited by 119
Multi-Process Action Control in Physical Activity: A Primer
Rhodes, R. E. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.797484 · Cited by 111
“Indeed, juggling multiple goals is one of the prime reasons why new intentions are often abandoned (Sheeran and Webb, 2016).”
BackgroundConsumer post-adoption of e-wallet: An extended UTAUT2 perspective with trust
Kilani, A. A.-H. Z., Kakeesh, D. F., Al-Weshah, G. A., & Al‐Debei, M. M. (2023) · Journal of Open Innovation Technology Market and Complexity · doi:10.1016/j.joitmc.2023.100113 · Cited by 145
The role of domain expertise in trusting and following explainable AI decision support systems
Bayer, S., Gimpel, H., & Markgraf, M. (2022) · Journal of Decision Systems · doi:10.1080/12460125.2021.1958505 · Cited by 103
“It is worth noting, though, that there can be a huge discrepancy between the intention to do something and the actual behaviour (Sheeran & Webb, 2016).”
BackgroundThe Reasoned Action Approach and the Theories of Reasoned Action and Planned Behavior
Hagger, M. S. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/obo/9780199828340-0240 · Cited by 135
Zintel, S., Flock, C., Arbogast, A. L., Forster, A. S., von Wagner, C., & Sieverding, M. (2021) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.3803323 · Cited by 95
Damalas, C. A. (2021) · Environmental Science and Pollution Research · doi:10.1007/s11356-021-13183-3 · Cited by 93
“Moreover, people’s motivation varies over time, so that best intentions do not always translate into behavior (Sheeran and Webb 2016).”
BackgroundThe differential impact of climate interventions along the political divide in 60 countries
Berkebile-Weinberg, M., Goldwert, D., Doell, K. C., Bavel, J. J. V., & Vlasceanu, M. (2024) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-024-48112-8 · Cited by 107
Tomczyk, S., Schomerus, G., Stolzenburg, S., Muehlan, H., & Schmidt, S. (2020) · Prevention Science · doi:10.1007/s11121-020-01099-2 · Cited by 92
“The remaining studies focused on help-seeking intentions, but they did not capture actual help-seeking behaviour; therefore, the question of the intention-behaviour gap remains unanswered (Sheeran and Webb 2016).”
BackgroundMethodBieleke, M., Keller, L., & Gollwitzer, P. M. (2021) · European Review of Social Psychology · doi:10.1080/10463283.2020.1808936 · Cited by 83
“Goal striving involves several challenges that must be mastered in order to attain a goal (Gollwitzer & Oettingen, 2016; Sheeran & Webb, 2016).”
BackgroundPsychological inoculation protects against the social media infodemic
McPhedran, R., Ratajczak, M., Mawby, M., King, E., Yang, Y., & Gold, N. (2023) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-023-32962-1 · Cited by 104
The Psychology of Framing: How Everyday Language Shapes the Way We Think, Feel, and Act
Flusberg, S. J., Holmes, K. J., Thibodeau, P. H., Nabi, R. L., & Matlock, T. (2024) · Gothic.net · doi:10.1177/15291006241246966 · Cited by 120
Lalot, F., Quiamzade, A., Falomir‐Pichastor, J. M., & Gollwitzer, P. M. (2019) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2019.01.002 · Cited by 99
Predicting adoption and maintenance of physical activity in the context of dual-process theories
Strobach, T., Englert, C., Jekauc, D., & Pfeffer, I. (2020) · Performance Enhancement & Health · doi:10.1016/j.peh.2020.100162 · Cited by 106
Butter, S., McGlinchey, E., Berry, E., & Armour, C. (2020) · British Journal of Health Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjhp.12530 · Cited by 72
Intention in information systems adoption and use: Current state and research directions
Jeyaraj, A., Dwivedi, Y. K., & Venkatesh, V. (2023) · International Journal of Information Management · doi:10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.102680 · Cited by 107
Ready to bully automated vehicles on public roads?
Liu, P., Du, Y. L., Wang, L., & Young, J. D. (2020) · Accident Analysis & Prevention · doi:10.1016/j.aap.2020.105457 · Cited by 88
Analytic-thinking predicts hoax beliefs and helping behaviors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
Stanley, M. L., Barr, N., Peters, K., & Seli, P. (2020) · Thinking & Reasoning · doi:10.1080/13546783.2020.1813806 · Cited by 88
“…those from Pennycook et al. (under review) are not necessarily at odds with each other, especially given the large corpus of work showing that intentions are often poor predictors of actual behavior (Ajzen & Fishbein, 2005; Fazio & Zanna, 1981; Fishbein, 1966; Sheeran, 2002; Sheeran & Webb, 2016).”
BackgroundNarrowing the intention-behavior gap: The impact of hotel green certification
Chi, C. G.-Q., Chi, O. H., Xu, X., & Kennedy, I. (2022) · International Journal of Hospitality Management · doi:10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103305 · Cited by 88
Grelle, S., & Hofmann, W. (2023) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/17456916231180580 · Cited by 105
“We know from attitude-behavior research that the degree to which attitudes predict behavior varies widely and depends on boundary conditions (Kraus, 1995; McEachan et al., 2011; Sheeran & Webb, 2016; Wicker, 1969).”
BackgroundA Framework for Motivating Teacher-Student Relationships
Robinson, C. D. (2022) · Educational Psychology Review · doi:10.1007/s10648-022-09706-0 · Cited by 132
“A large body of research studies the gap between intention and action (Sheeran & Webb, 2016), and it likely applies to teachers’ motivational beliefs about TSRs and their relationship-building behaviors with students.”
BackgroundPeters, G.-J., Ruiter, R. A. C., ten Hoor, G. A., Kessels, L. T. E., & Kok, G. (2018) · Health Psychology Review · doi:10.1080/17437199.2018.1454846 · Cited by 92
Hickey, A., Mellon, L., Williams, D. J., Shelley, E., & Conroy, R. M. (2018) · European Stroke Journal · doi:10.1177/2396987317753453 · Cited by 86
Gossip and reputation in everyday life
Cruz, T. D. D., Thielmann, I., Columbus, S., Molho, C., Wu, J., Righetti, F., de Vries, R. E., Koutsoumpis, A., Lange, P. A. M. V., Beersma, B., et al. (2021) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2020.0301 · Cited by 98
“It is possible that there is a gap between intentions and behaviour [83].”
BackgroundPapies, E. K. (2017) · Social and Personality Psychology Compass · doi:10.1111/spc3.12323 · Cited by 97
Consumer Attitudes toward Sustainable Development and Risk to Brand Loyalty
Kuchinka, D., Balázs, S., Gavriletea, M. D., & Djokic, B.-B. (2018) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su10040997 · Cited by 91
“Sheeran and Webb [116] showed that intentions shape our actions approximately half of the time, which demonstrates that the intention–behavior gap is large, and that factors such as intention quality, intention properties, basis of intention, and nature of the focal goal inhibit or enable the realization of intentions…”
Background
Metadata
- Authors
- Sheeran, P., & Webb, T. L.
- Affiliations
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
- University of Sheffield (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Sheeran, Paschal
- Venue
- Social and Personality Psychology Compass
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2016-09
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 503-518
- ISSN
- 1751-9004 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2519766541
- Semantic Scholar
- 19675f19058b8fe0f0bdc7d17037de0e5e84da42
- Cited by
- 2,185
- References
- 151
- Citations by year
- 2026: 432 · 2025: 333 · 2024: 294 · 2023: 270 · 2022: 253 · 2021: 237 · 2020: 212 · 2019: 88 · 2018: 44 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 3
- FWCI
- 79.11
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Locations
- Social and Personality Psychology Compass (publishedVersion)
- White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (acceptedVersion)
- Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) (submittedVersion)
- UNC Libraries
- Funders
- John Templeton Foundation (#23145)
- European Research Council (ERC‐2011‐StG‐280515)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Grit, Self-Efficacy, and Motivation
- Keywords
- intention-behavior gap, behavioral intention, implementation intentions, goal achievement, self-regulation
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