The question-behaviour effect: A theoretical and methodological review and meta-analysis
Wilding and colleagues overview research on the question-behaviour effect, review three theoretical accounts (behavioural simulation and processing fluency, attitude accessibility, cognitive dissonance) and report a meta-analysis focused on methodological moderators. It covered 66 studies reporting 94 tests and found a small significant effect, g = 0.14 with a 95 per cent confidence interval of 0.11 to 0.18. Effects were smaller in more carefully controlled studies at lower risk of bias.
Wilding and colleagues overview research on the question-behaviour effect, review three theoretical accounts (behavioural simulation and processing fluency, attitude accessibility, cognitive dissonance) and report a meta-analysis focused on methodological moderators. It covered 66 studies reporting 94 tests and found a small significant effect, g = 0.14 with a 95 per cent confidence interval of 0.11 to 0.18. Effects were smaller in more carefully controlled studies at lower risk of bias.
Written from the abstract and repository record, 2026-11-02.
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Wilding, S., Conner, M., Sandberg, T., Prestwich, A., Lawton, R., Wood, C., Miles, E., Godin, G., & Sheeran, P. (2016). The question-behaviour effect: A theoretical and methodological review and meta-analysis. European Review of Social Psychology, 27(1), 196-230. doi:10.1080/10463283.2016.1245940 https://doi.org/10.1080/10463283.2016.1245940