Goals & if-then plans

// What the research shows

Gollwitzer & Sheeran (2006) found a medium-to-large effect (d = 0.65) of if-then plans on goal attainment across 94 tests, on top of intention alone. A much larger 2024 meta-analysisMeta-analysis A study of studies: the results of many individual studies are pooled statistically. More in the glossary → of 642 tests confirms the effect, but after correcting for publication biasPublication bias Studies with exciting, positive results are more likely to be published than studies finding no effect. More in the glossary → it is considerably smaller. Goal setting in general also measurably increases physical activity (McEwan et al., 2016).

// In practice

• Instead of “I want to train more”: “Monday, Wednesday, Friday after work I go straight to the gym.”
• Plan for obstacles too: “If I don't feel like it after work, I'll just do the warm-up.”
• The plan only works if the goal genuinely matters to you.

// Limitations & open questions

Older effect sizesEffect size (SMD, d) A number expressing how large a difference is, independent of the unit of measurement. More in the glossary → are probably inflated by publication bias. In some areas, such as diet, effects are smaller.

// Sources

• Meta-Analyse 2006Gollwitzer & Sheeran – Implementation intentions and goal achievement (Adv Exp Soc Psychol) ↗
• Meta-Analyse 2016McEwan et al. – Multi-component goal setting interventions for changing physical activity behaviour (Health Psychol Rev) ↗

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