Research article summary (published 4 Apr 2009):

When intentions go public: does social reality widen the intention-behavior gap?

Full Abstract

Based on Lewinian goal theory in general and self-completion theory in particular, four experiments examined the implications of other people taking notice of one's identity-related behavioral intentions (e.g., the intention to read law periodicals regularly to reach the identity goal of becoming a lawyer). Identity-related behavioral intentions that had been noticed by other people were translated into action less intensively than those that had been ignored (Studies 1-3). This effect was evident in the field (persistent striving over 1 week's time; Study 1) and in the laboratory (jumping on opportunities to act; Studies 2 and 3), and it held among participants with strong but not weak commitment to the identity goal (Study 3). Study 4 showed, in addition, that when other people take notice of an individual's identity-related behavioral intention, this gives the individual a premature sense of possessing the aspired-to identity.

Author information

Author/s: Gollwitzer, Peter M (PM); Sheeran, Paschal (P); Michalski, Verena (V); Seifert, Andrea E (AE);

Affiliation: New York University, Psychology Department, New York, NY 10003, USA. peter.gollwitzer(-atsign-)nyu.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Psychological science : a journal of the American Psychological Society / APS (Psychol Sci), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-May; vol 20 (issue 5) : pp 612-8

Dates: Created 2009/05/29; Completed 2009/08/21;

PMID: 19389130, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 8/21/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Aspirations (Psychology) Association Learning Female Goals Humans Intention

Intention Male Motivation Social Behavior Social Identification Social Responsibility

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