The Limits of Simple Implementation Intentions: Evidence from a Field Experiment on Making Plans to Exercise

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

No 24959, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

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 and observe a tightly estimated null effect. This lack of effect is despite the fact that the majority of subjects believe that planning is helpful and despite clear evidence that they engaged with the planning process.

JEL-codes: C93 D91 I12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018-08
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cdm and nep-exp
Note: AG EH LS PE
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (17)

Published as Mariana Carrera & Heather Royer & Mark Stehr & Justin Sydnor & Dmitry Taubinsky, 2018. "The limits of simple implementation intentions: Evidence from a field experiment on making plans to exercise," Journal of Health Economics, vol 62, pages 95-104.

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