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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice
07:07

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Published on: June 5, 2016

Discrepancy between snack choice intentions and behavior.

Pascalle L G Weijzen1, Cees de Graaf, Garmt B Dijksterhuis

  • 1Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands. pascalle.weijzen@wur.nl

Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
|August 30, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Many people intend to eat healthy snacks but fail to follow through. Current dietary constructs do not fully explain this intention-behavior gap in snack choice.

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Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Science
  • Nutritional Psychology
  • Dietary Behavior Research

Background:

  • Understanding the gap between dietary intentions and actual food choices is crucial for public health.
  • Previous research has explored various factors influencing food selection, but the psychological mechanisms behind intention-behavior discrepancies remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate specific dietary constructs that may explain the discrepancy between intended and actual snack choices among office employees.
  • To identify factors influencing the failure to choose healthful snacks despite prior intention.

Main Methods:

  • A study involving 585 office employees in the Netherlands who reported snack intentions and actual snack choices over a one-week period.
  • Participants completed questionnaires assessing various dietary constructs after their actual snack selection.
  • Statistical analyses included t tests, chi-square tests, and logistic regression to evaluate the relationship between dietary constructs and choice discrepancies.

Main Results:

  • Nearly half of participants intended to choose a healthful snack, but 27% of this group ultimately selected an unhealthful option.
  • Conversely, most participants who intended to choose an unhealthful snack (92%) followed through with their intention.
  • None of the assessed dietary constructs significantly predicted the failure to act on healthful snack intentions.

Conclusions:

  • A significant gap exists between healthful snack intentions and actual snack choices in the studied population.
  • The evaluated dietary constructs were insufficient to explain the psychological processes underlying the conversion of intention into practice for healthful snack choices.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the complex factors influencing the intention-behavior gap in dietary choices.