Blocked goals, persistent action
Implementation intentions engender tenacious goal striving
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9007604 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Carolien Martijn (0000-0002-1480-5980, Maastricht University, corresponding author), Hugo J E M Alberts (0000-0001-9161-8807, Maastricht University), Hugo Alberts, Paschal Sheeran (0000-0001-7449-4590, University of Sheffield), Gjalt-Jorn Peters (0000-0002-0336-9589, Maastricht University), Gjalt-Jorn Y Peters, Jochen Mikolajczak, Nanne K De Vries (0000-0002-4348-707X, Maastricht University) |
| Year | 2008 |
| Volume | 44 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 1137-1143 |
| Publication date | 2008-02-13 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Experimental Social Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-1031 • E-ISSN: 1096-0465 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.jesp.2008.01.005 |
| OpenAlex | W2025426248 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 24 |
Research on goal attainment has demonstrated that people are more likely to reach their goals when they form implementation intentions. Three experiments tested whether implementation intentions lead to tenacious goal striving following blockage of an initial attempt to reach the goal. In all three experiments some participants were instructed to form an implementation intention and other participants were not. Subsequently, the initial goal-directed attempt of all participants was unexpectedly blocked. Experiment 1 found that implementation intentions resulted in more attempts to realize one’s goal. Experiment 2 showed that when participants formed an implementation intention their repeated attempt was acted out as intensely as their first, blocked attempt. Experiment 3 found that implementation intentions still allow people to seize an alternative, more onerous means to realize their intention. These results imply that implementation intention conserve self-regulatory strength. After goal blockage, the remaining strength can be used to continue goal-directed action
Action (physics · Cognitive psychology · Goal Orientation · Goal pursuit · Goal setting · Behavioral Health and Interventions · Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion · Psychology · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology
Implementation Intentions and Goal Achievement
Metacognition in Action
Intention—Behavior Relations
Goal Achievement
The Degree of Intention Formation as a Moderator of the Attitude-Behavior Relationship
To plan or not to plan? Goal achievement or interrupting the performance of mundane behaviors
Implementation intentions and efficient action initiation
How do implementation intentions promote goal attainment? A test of component processes
Can implementation intentions help to overcome ego-depletion
Implementation intentions
Ego depletion
Habits as knowledge structures
Reasoned action and social reaction
Evaluation of three interventions to promote workplace health and safety
Self-regulation and depletion of limited resources
Habit and intention in everyday life
| Citations per year | 0.18 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2009 - 2025 (17) |
| Highly cited | No |