Webb, Thomas L. and Sheeran, Paschal (2007) How do implementation intentions promote goal attainment? A test of component processes. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 43 (2). pp. 295-302. ISSN 0022-1031
Abstract
Implementation intentions are plans that specify the when, where, and how of goal striving in advance, and have been shown to enhance rates of goal attainment compared to merely forming respective goal intentions. The present research investigated whether the accessibility of the specified situation (cue accessibility) and the strength of the association between the specified situation and the intended response (cue-response linkage) explain the impact of implementation intentions on goal achievement. Findings indicated that participants who planned to undertake a verbal task better attained their goal compared to participants who did not form a plan. Crucially, implementation intention effects were mediated by the accessibility of the specified cue and by the strength of cue-response links. These findings support the idea that implementation intentions benefit performance because control of behavior is delegated to specified situational cues that initiate action automatically.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Keywords: | implementation intentions, self-regulation, automaticity, accessibility |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > Department of Psychology (Sheffield) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number Economic and Social Research Council PTA- 026-27-0002 |
Depositing User: | Dr Thomas Webb |
Date Deposited: | 27 Apr 2010 08:43 |
Last Modified: | 27 Apr 2010 08:43 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2006.02.001 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.jesp.2006.02.001 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:10753 |