RESEARCHERS

The Science of If-Then Plans: Why Deciding When and Where Beats Deciding to Try

2 the researchers behind it — "I'll work on it when I feel ready" is one of the most common self-sabotage scripts in goal pursuit — it ties action to an internal state that may nev

New York University / University of Konstanz

Peter M. Gollwitzer

Known for:Originator of implementation intention theory — the if-then planning format that links situational cues to pre-decided goal-directed responses, dramatically improving follow-through over goal intentions alone

Key findings

1999
Gollwitzer proposed that the if-then plan format ('When situation Y, I will do Z') heightens the mental accessibility of the specified cue, so the behavior is triggered automatically when that cue is encountered — bypassing the need for renewed deliberate effort. ↗
2006
With Paschal Sheeran, Gollwitzer conducted a meta-analysis of 94 studies and found d = 0.65 across varied goal domains, establishing implementation intentions as one of the most reliable self-regulation tools in the social-scientific evidence base. ↗

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Paschal Sheeran

Known for:Empirical research on the intention-behavior gap and implementation intentions, including the landmark 94-study meta-analysis with Gollwitzer and a definitive Annual Review synthesis positioning if-then plans as the leading tool for bridging intention and action

Key findings

2006
Co-authoring the meta-analysis with Gollwitzer, Sheeran documented d = 0.65 across 94 studies and analyzed the moderators and processes, finding the effect was not driven by any single goal domain or population. ↗
2016
With Thomas Webb, Sheeran synthesized the broader intention-behavior gap literature in Annual Review of Psychology, finding that even high-motivation populations fail to act a substantial proportion of the time, and confirming implementation intentions as the leading evidence-based remedy. ↗

View full research file ↗All researchers