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Too Much of a Good Thing: The Benefits of Implementation Intentions Depend on the Number of Goals

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  • Amy N. Dalton
  • Stephen A. Spiller

Abstract

Implementation intentions are specific plans regarding how, when, and where to pursue a goal (Gollwitzer). Forming implementation intentions for a single goal has been shown to facilitate goal achievement, but do such intentions benefit multiple goals? If so, people should form implementation intentions for all their goals, from eating healthily to tidying up. An investigation into this question suggests that the benefits of implemental planning for attaining a single goal do not typically extend to multiple goals. Instead, implemental planning draws attention to the difficulty of executing multiple goals, which undermines commitment to those goals relative to other desirable activities and thereby undermines goal success. Framing the execution of multiple goals as a manageable endeavor, however, reduces the perceived difficulty of multiple goal pursuit and helps consumers accomplish the various tasks they planned for. This research contributes to literature on goal management, goal specificity, the intention-behavior link, and planning.

Suggested Citation

  • Amy N. Dalton & Stephen A. Spiller, 2012. "Too Much of a Good Thing: The Benefits of Implementation Intentions Depend on the Number of Goals," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 39(3), pages 600-614.
  • Handle: RePEc:oup:jconrs:doi:10.1086/664500
    DOI: 10.1086/664500
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    Cited by:

    1. Daniel Fernandes & John G. Lynch & Richard G. Netemeyer, 2014. "Financial Literacy, Financial Education, and Downstream Financial Behaviors," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 60(8), pages 1861-1883, August.
    2. Craig Gundersen & David R. Just & Cäzilia Loibl & Anastasia Snyder & Travis Mountain, 2017. "Connecting Saving and Food Security: Evidence from an Asset-Building Program for Families in Poverty," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(3), pages 659-681, November.
    3. Junyoung Park & Do-Hyung Park, 2019. "A Sustainable Project Management Strategy against Multitasking Situations from the Viewpoints of Cognitive Mechanism and Motivational Belief," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-16, December.
    4. Kim, Seeun & Baek, Tae Hyun & Yoon, Sukki, 2020. "The effect of 360-degree rotatable product images on purchase intention," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    5. Yuqian Xu & Tom Fangyun Tan & Serguei Netessine, 2022. "The Impact of Workload on Operational Risk: Evidence from a Commercial Bank," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(4), pages 2668-2693, April.
    6. Stamatogiannakis, Antonios & Chattopadhyay, Amitava & Chakravarti, Dipankar, 2018. "Attainment versus maintenance goals: Perceived difficulty and impact on goal choice," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 17-34.
    7. Mariam Beruchashvili & Risto Moisio, 2013. "Is Planning an Aid or an Obstacle? Examining the Role of Consumers' Lay Theories in Weight Loss," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(3), pages 404-431, November.
    8. Jamel Khenfer & Aaron Kay & Elyette Roux & Eric Tafani, 2014. "The Divergent Effects of External Systems of Control on Early Stage Goal Pursuit," Post-Print hal-01079648, HAL.
    9. Min Jung Kim, 2022. "Two sides of the same coin: The simultaneous effects of spending and saving needs on budget estimation," Journal of Financial Services Marketing, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 27(4), pages 360-371, December.
    10. Tom Fangyun Tan & Serguei Netessine, 2014. "When Does the Devil Make Work? An Empirical Study of the Impact of Workload on Worker Productivity," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 60(6), pages 1574-1593, June.
    11. M. Todd Royle, 2015. "Theoretical Drivers Of Early Career Success For New Entrants To The Job Market," International Journal of Management and Marketing Research, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 8(1), pages 31-56.

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