What makes implementation intention interventions effective for promoting healthy eating behaviours? A meta-regression

Carrero, Isabel; Vila, Irene Muria; Redondo, Raquel Fidalgo

doi:10.1016/j.appet.2019.05.024

Cited by 18 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…This is similar to Cross and Sheffield's (2019) meta-analysis, which found that MCII had a small-to-medium effect on health behavior change. As expected, although several studies found that MCII was more effective than mental contrasting or implementation intention alone (Adriaanse et al, 2010;Kirk et al, 2013), and mental contrasting alone or implementation intentions alone intervention studies found small-to-medium effect size (Belanger-Gravel et al, 2013;Carrero et al, 2019;Cross and Sheffield, 2019), MCII interventions had a small-to-medium effect size on behavior change.The first possible reason for this finding is that the effects of mental contrasting or implementation intentions are moderated by other variables; for example, mental contrasting can encourage individuals with low expectations of success to let go their wishes (Oettingen and Cachia, 2016), and implementation intentions has no promoting effect on goals for highly impulsive individuals (Churchill and Jessop, 2010). A combination of these two strategies can be moderated by even more variables, which may decrease the effect size.…”

Section: Discussion Intervention Effect Of MCII On Goal Attainmentsupporting

confidence: 67%

A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Mental Contrasting With Implementation Intentions on Goal Attainment

Wang

Gai

2021

Front. Psychol.

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Mental contrasting with implementation intentions (MCII) is a self-regulation strategy that enhances goal attainment. This meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy of MCII for goal attainment and explored potential moderators. A total of 21 empirical studies with 24 independent effect sizes (15,907 participants) were included in the analysis. Results showed that MCII to be effective for goal attainment with a small to medium effect size (g = 0.336). The effect was mainly moderated by intervention style. Specifically, studies with interventions based on interactions between participants and experimenters (g = 0.465) had stronger effects than studies with interventions based on interactions between participants and documents (g = 0.277). The results revealed that MCII is a brief and effective strategy for goal attainment with a small to moderate effect; however, because of some publication bias, the actual effect sizes may be smaller. Due to small number of studies in this meta-analysis, additional studies are needed to determine the role of moderator variables.

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Section: Discussion Intervention Effect Of MCII On Goal Attainmentsupporting

confidence: 67%

A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Mental Contrasting With Implementation Intentions on Goal Attainment

Wang

Gai

2021

Front. Psychol.

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“…The formation of 'implementation intentions' ('if-then-plans') is a widely used strategy to help people achieve their goals (Carrero et al, 2019) and to decrease their existing unwanted habits by forming new replacement plans (Adriaanse & Verhoeven, 2018;Adriaanse, van Oosten, et al, 2011). That is, people formulate specific situations (and potential cues they encounter) by way of the 'if' status (e.g., 'IF I get out of bed at 8 am'), and their desired (i.e., healthier replacement) reaction by way of the 'then' statement (e.g., 'THEN I will first go for a walk').…”

Section: Situation-specific Response Selection: Implementation Intentionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Formation of implementation intentions has yielded promising effects on diverse health behaviours, including healthy eating and alcohol consumption (Adriaanse, Vinkers, et al, 2011;Turton et al, 2016;Vila et al, 2017). Meta-analyses have on average reported medium effects of implementation intentions on health-related behaviours (Carrero et al, 2019;Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006). However, effects may vary as a function of behaviours targeted, individual characteristics and intervention conditions.…”

Section: Situation-specific Response Selection: Implementation Intentionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, effects may vary as a function of behaviours targeted, individual characteristics and intervention conditions. To date, the use of implementation intentions has a significantly larger effect for individuals with higher than lower motivation to perform goal-directed behaviour (Hagger & Luszczynska, 2014;Prestwich et al, 2014), for individuals lower compared to higher in impulsivity (Churchill & Jessop, 2010;Churchill & Jessop, 2011;Hagger & Luszczynska, 2014), for healthy than unhealthy behaviours (Carrero et al, 2019), and for single and specific if-then plans than multiple and complex plans (Carrero et al, 2019;Forcano et al, 2018). Thus, evidence on moderating factors clearly shows that 'healthy' and 'simple' implementation intentions seem to work best among 'highly motivated' individuals, similar to goal priming.…”

Section: Situation-specific Response Selection: Implementation Intentionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Targeting automatic processes to reduce unhealthy behaviours: a process framework

Larsen

Hollands

2021

Health Psychology Review

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While previous frameworks to address health behaviours through targeting underlying automatic processes have stimulated an improved understanding of related interventions, deciding between intervention strategies often remains essentially arbitrary and atheoretical. Making considered decisions has likely been hampered by the lack of a framework that guides the selection of different intervention strategies targeting automatic processes to reduce unhealthy behaviours. We propose a process framework to fulfil this need, building upon the process model of emotion regulation. This framework differentiates types of intervention strategies along the timeline of the unfolding automatic response, distinguishing between three broad classes of intervention strategiesdirect antecedent, indirect antecedent, and responsefocused. Antecedent-focused strategies aim to prevent the exposure to or activation of automatic responses directly through the avoidance of unwanted stimulus-response associations (i.e., situation modification or situation-specific response selection), or indirectly through automatising self-control (i.e., attentional deployment or cognitive change). Responsefocused strategies aim to directly downregulate automatic unwanted responses (i.e., response modulation). Three main working hypotheses derived from this process framework provide practical guidance for selecting interventions, but await direct testing in future studies.

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“…There is other indirect evidence that self‐regulatory BCTs may be less effective with older people. For instance, a systematic review of implementation intentions on healthy eating found a lower effect in older participants (Carrero et al, 2019). Similarly, a study of implementation intentions to promote healthy eating in older women found that effectiveness was modified by executive function (Hall, Zehr, Paulitzki, & Rhodes, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Does the Understanding, Experience, and Enactment of Self‐Regulation Behaviour Change Techniques Vary with Age? A Thematic Analysis

French

Banafa

Williams

et al. 2020

Applied Psych Health & Well

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Background Self‐regulatory behaviour change techniques (BCTs) appear less effective in promoting physical activity amongst older than younger adults. This study aimed to identify reasons for this by examining how participants of different ages understand, experience, and use these BCTs. Methods Twelve participants (aged 39–75) in a walking intervention study were interviewed twice: immediately post‐intervention and 3 months later to examine understanding and enactment of self‐regulation BCTs. Thematic analysis was used, organised using the framework approach. Results Participants acknowledged the importance of setting realistic goals and found pedometers useful. In older adults, the use of goal setting was influenced by previous experience in work settings of this BCT. Occupational status appeared to influence the participants' responses to action planning, irrespective of age, with retired participants preferring not to restrict themselves to specific times. Self‐monitoring with diaries appeared to be more useful in assisting the memory of older adults. For most BCTs, differences in understanding and enactment were apparent according to participant age. Conclusions Problems with using self‐regulation BCTs were apparent, which appeared more common with older adults. Occupational status, cognitive status, or a perceived lack of value of physical activity or of some BCTs are all promising explanations that warrant further investigation.

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What makes implementation intention interventions effective for promoting healthy eating behaviours? A meta-regression

Cited by 18 publications

References 76 publications

A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Mental Contrasting With Implementation Intentions on Goal Attainment

A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Mental Contrasting With Implementation Intentions on Goal Attainment

Targeting automatic processes to reduce unhealthy behaviours: a process framework

How Does the Understanding, Experience, and Enactment of Self‐Regulation Behaviour Change Techniques Vary with Age? A Thematic Analysis

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