A meta-analytic review of the effect of implementation intentions on physical activity
Belanger-Gravel and colleagues meta-analysed twenty-six studies testing whether implementation intentions, the technique of deciding in advance exactly when, where and how you will act, increase physical activity. The technique works well for many health behaviours, and the results for exercise had been inconsistent, which is what prompted the review. Pooled across the studies, the effect was positive and small to medium immediately after the intervention, and smaller but still present at follow-up, with the length of follow-up making no reliable difference to its size. Two conditions improved it. The effect was larger in student and clinical samples than in the general population, and larger when the plan included working out in advance what would get in the way and what to do about it, rather than only specifying the intended action. That second finding is the practical one, since it separates a plan from a wish. The authors conclude that the technique is worth using for physical activity while being clear that the benefit is modest.
Belanger-Gravel and colleagues meta-analysed twenty-six studies testing whether implementation intentions, the technique of deciding in advance exactly when, where and how you will act, increase physical activity. The technique works well for many health behaviours, and the results for exercise had been inconsistent, which is what prompted the review. Pooled across the studies, the effect was positive and small to medium immediately after the intervention, and smaller but still present at follow-up, with the length of follow-up making no reliable difference to its size. Two conditions improved it. The effect was larger in student and clinical samples than in the general population, and larger when the plan included working out in advance what would get in the way and what to do about it, rather than only specifying the intended action. That second finding is the practical one, since it separates a plan from a wish. The authors conclude that the technique is worth using for physical activity while being clear that the benefit is modest.
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doi:10.1080/17437199.2011.560095. Hedges' g = 0.31 (CI 0.11 to 0.51) post-intervention and 0.24 (CI 0.13 to 0.35) at follow-up.
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https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2011.560095
DOI: 10.1080/17437199.2011.560095