Implementation Intentions and Shielding Goal Striving From Unwanted Thoughts and Feelings

Abstract

Forming an implementation intention or “if-then plan” promotes the attainment of different types of goals (Gollwitzer, 1999; Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006). So far, research on implementation intentions has focused on the initiation of goal striving, whereas the issue of shielding of ongoing goal striving has been largely neglected. In two field experiments concerned with dieting (Study 1) and athletic goals (Study 2), goal shielding was supported by implementation intentions geared at controlling potentially interfering inner states (i.e., cravings for junk food in Study 1, and disruptive thoughts, feelings, and physiological states in Study 2). In both experiments, forming if-then plans enhanced the rate of goal attainment. Thus, implementation intention formation can be used to promote the realization of desired outcomes not only by facilitating getting started with goal striving but also by preventing goal striving from straying off course.

Obesity and the four facets of impulsivity

“…The mean age of the overweight/obese sample was 35 . t-Tests revealed no significant differences between patients and controls in terms of age (p > .05) or years of education (p > .05), but significant differences in BMI (p < .001).…”

“…Given that binge eating often occurs when cognitive resources are depleted (e.g., when the person is tired or under stress), obese persons may benefit from implementation intention techniques that rely on automatic components of self-regulation [35][36][37]. Implementation intentions are if-then plans that link situational cues with responses that are effective in attaining goals or desired outcomes.…”

“…Consequently, the mental representation of the anticipated critical situation is activated and therefore becomes highly accessible. Implementation intentions save people's self-regulatory resources and allow them to simultaneously perform other activities [35][36][37]. This technique has been found to facilitate the attainment of goals to eat healthier foods (less fat and more fruits) and to engage in physical exercise [38,39].…”

Cognitive deficits in obese persons with and without binge eating disorder. Investigation using a mental flexibility task

“…Indeed, obese patients with cognitive deficits may benefit from mindfulness techniques (Kristeller, Baer, & QuillianWolever, 2006) and implementation intention techniques (Achtziger, Gollwitzer, & Sheeran, 2008). In this context, another promising direction could be an examination of the relationship between cognitive deficits and biases and dysfunctional eating before and after a cognitive treatment.…”

Implementation Intentions

“…In contrast, implementation intentions that specify an ignore response have been found to be effective in overcoming habits (Achtziger, Gollwitzer, & Sheeran, 2008;Mendoza et al, 2010;Schweiger Gallo et al, 2009;Sheeran, Aubrey, & Kellett, 2007), but, similar to replacement implementation intentions, little is known about the underlying processes that make this type of plan effective in overruling habitual responses. A further investigation of underlying processes is thus also warranted for implementation intentions that specify ignoring a critical stimulus.…”