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Annals of Behavioral Medicine
Published in: Annals of Behavioral Medicine 1/2013

01-08-2013 | Brief Report

The Best Laid Plans: Planning Skill Determines the Effectiveness of Action Plans and Implementation Intentions

Authors: Julia L. Allan, Ph.D., Falko F. Sniehotta, Ph.D., Marie Johnston, Ph.D.

Published in: Annals of Behavioral Medicine | Issue 1/2013

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Abstract

Background

Theories of action control emphasise the importance of planning, but plans are not universally beneficial.

Purpose

The present study investigates whether the effectiveness of plans depends upon the skill of the planner.

Methods

Study 1 prospectively predicted changes in unhealthy snacking behaviour over 1 week from intentions, action planning and performance on a standardised cognitive test of planning skill (n = 72). Study 2 experimentally randomised skilled and poor planners to receive (or not) a planning intervention before completing an online food diary (n = 144)

Results

Spontaneously generated action plans about snacking explained significantly more variance in subsequent snacking if produced by a skilled rather than a poor planner. The planning intervention (implementation intention) significantly improved goal attainment but only in poor planners.

Conclusions

Plans are only as good as the people who make them. Poor planners’ plans do not help achieve goals. Planning interventions can compensate for a lack of planning skill.
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Metadata
Title
The Best Laid Plans: Planning Skill Determines the Effectiveness of Action Plans and Implementation Intentions
Authors
Julia L. Allan, Ph.D.
Falko F. Sniehotta, Ph.D.
Marie Johnston, Ph.D.
Publication date
01-08-2013
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Annals of Behavioral Medicine / Issue 1/2013
Print ISSN: 0883-6612
Electronic ISSN: 1532-4796
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-013-9483-9

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