Article
The Intention–Behavior Gap
Paschal Sheeran,
Thomas L. Webb,
Corresponding Author
Paschal Sheeran
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Correspondence: Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Davie Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3520, USA. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorPaschal Sheeran,
Thomas L. Webb,
Corresponding Author
Paschal Sheeran
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Correspondence: Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Davie Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3520, USA. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
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?
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