The limits of simple implementation intentions: Evidence from a field experiment on making plans to exercise

Mariana Carrera, Heather Royer, Mark Stehr, Justin Sydnor and Dmitry Taubinsky

Journal of Health Economics, 2018, vol. 62, issue C, 95-104

Abstract: Recent large-scale randomized experiments find that helping people form implementation intentions by asking when and where they plan to act increases one-time actions, such as vaccinations, preventative screenings and voting. We investigate the effect of a simple scalable planning intervention on a repeated behavior using a randomized design involving 877 subjects at a private gym. Subjects were randomized into i) a treatment group who selected the days and times they intended to attend the gym over the next two weeks or ii) a control group who instead recorded their days of exercise in the prior two weeks. In contrast to recent studies, we find that the planning intervention did not have a positive effect on behavior. We observe a tightly estimated null effect even though the majority of subjects believed that planning is helpful and despite clear evidence that they engaged with the planning process.

Keywords: Implementation intentions; Planning; Physical activity; Exercise; Health behaviors; Behavioral economics; Nudge (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 D91 I12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (19)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:62:y:2018:i:c:p:95-104

DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2018.09.002

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