Does changing behavioral intentions engender behavior change? A meta-analysis of the experimental evidence.
Numerous theories in social and health psychology assume that intentions cause behaviors.
However, most tests of the intention-behavior relation involve correlational studies that
preclude causal inferences. In order to determine whether changes in behavioral intention
engender behavior change, participants should be assigned randomly to a treatment that
significantly increases the strength of respective intentions relative to a control condition,
and differences in subsequent behavior should be compared. The present research …
However, most tests of the intention-behavior relation involve correlational studies that
preclude causal inferences. In order to determine whether changes in behavioral intention
engender behavior change, participants should be assigned randomly to a treatment that
significantly increases the strength of respective intentions relative to a control condition,
and differences in subsequent behavior should be compared. The present research …
Abstract
Numerous theories in social and health psychology assume that intentions cause behaviors. However, most tests of the intention-behavior relation involve correlational studies that preclude causal inferences. In order to determine whether changes in behavioral intention engender behavior change, participants should be assigned randomly to a treatment that significantly increases the strength of respective intentions relative to a control condition, and differences in subsequent behavior should be compared. The present research obtained 47 experimental tests of intention-behavior relations that satisfied these criteria. Meta-analysis showed that a medium-to-large change in intention (d= 0.66) leads to a small-to-medium change in behavior (d= 0.36). The review also identified several conceptual factors, methodological features, and intervention characteristics that moderate intention-behavior consistency.(PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)