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The best laid plans: planning skill determines the effectiveness of action plans and implementation intentions
Julia L Allan1, Falko F Sniehotta, Marie Johnston
1Health Psychology, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, Health Sciences Building, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK. j.allan@abdn.ac.uk
Background:
Theories of action control emphasise the importance of planning, but plans are not universally beneficial.
Purpose:
The present study investigates whether the effectiveness of plans depends upon the skill of the planner.
Methods:
Study 1 prospectively predicted changes in unhealthy snacking behaviour over 1 week from intentions, action planning and performance on a standardised cognitive test of planning skill (n = 72). Study 2 experimentally randomised skilled and poor planners to receive (or not) a planning intervention before completing an online food diary (n = 144) RESULTS: Spontaneously generated action plans about snacking explained significantly more variance in subsequent snacking if produced by a skilled rather than a poor planner. The planning intervention (implementation intention) significantly improved goal attainment but only in poor planners.
Conclusions:
Plans are only as good as the people who make them. Poor planners' plans do not help achieve goals. Planning interventions can compensate for a lack of planning skill.
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