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Behavioral approaches have often been criticized for ignoring mental processes and focusing solely on observable behavior. However, these approaches provide an optimistic perspective for individuals seeking to change their behaviors. Rather than concentrating on intrinsic personality traits, behavioral approaches suggest that even longstanding habits can be modified by changing the reward contingencies that maintain them.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal
06:45

Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal

Published on: April 18, 2017

Breaking habits with implementation intentions: a test of underlying processes.

Marieke A Adriaanse1, Peter M Gollwitzer, Denise T D De Ridder

  • 1Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands. M.A.Adriaanse@uu.nl

Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
|February 15, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Formulating implementation intentions can help override habitual responses by making alternative behaviors more accessible. This enhances behavioral flexibility but requires strong alternative goal intentions for habits to be truly departed from.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Behavioral Science
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Habits are automatic responses that can be difficult to change.
  • Implementation intentions are pre-decisions to act in specific ways in certain situations.
  • Counterhabitual implementation intentions aim to replace established habits with new behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the cognitive effects of counterhabitual implementation intentions.
  • To determine if implementation intentions can effectively overrule habitual responses.
  • To examine the accessibility of habitual versus alternative responses after formulating implementation intentions.

Main Methods:

  • Three experiments were conducted to assess the cognitive impact of implementation intentions.
  • A 'horse race' paradigm was used to compare the accessibility of habitual and alternative responses.
  • Participants formulated counterhabitual implementation intentions to replace specific habitual behaviors.

Main Results:

  • Implementation intentions eliminated the cognitive advantage of habitual responses in critical situations.
  • In control conditions, habitual responses were more accessible than alternatives.
  • This advantage was not observed when implementation intentions were formulated.

Conclusions:

  • Formulating counterhabitual implementation intentions increases cognitive flexibility in choosing behaviors.
  • Actual departure from habits depends on the strength of alternative goal intentions.
  • Implementation intentions facilitate behavioral change by enhancing control over habitual responses.