The Intention–Behavior Gap

TLDR

People frequently fail to act on their intentions, a phenomenon supported by personal experience and meta‑analysis. This paper reviews intention–behavior research to quantify the gap, identify conditions and barriers to action, and evaluate strategies that can help people follow through on their intentions.

Abstract

Abstract 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?