Breaking habits with implementation intentions: A test of underlying processes
Adriaanse, Gollwitzer, de Ridder, de Wtit & Kroese (2011)
Personality and social psychology bulletin

Abstract

Implementation intentions specifying the replacement of a habitual response with an alternative response in a critical situation can overrule habits. Implementation intention eliminate the cognitive advantage of the habitual means in the race with the alternative response. The cognitive advantage of the habitual means is not immediately replaced by an automatic activation of the alternative means.

Formulating counter-habitual implementation intentions increases individuals’ flexibility to choose with behaviour to perform in the critical situation. Actual behaviour will depart form their habits only to the extent that individuals have strong alternative goal intentions.

Introduction

Habits develop as people repeatedly perform a specific behaviour in a stable situation to pursue their goals. This co-occurrence between the situation and the behaviour eventually creates a direct mental association between the situation and the behaviour, which is strengthened each time they subsequently covary. This association is strengthened to the extent that when the situation is encountered, the behaviour follows automatically.

The most important moderator of the intention-behaviour relation is the extent to of habitual control over the behaviour.

Implementation intentions

One self-regulatory strategy that has been proposed to support individuals in managing the critical stimulus in such a way that there are able to act on their counter habitual intentions is to furnish one’s intentions with implementation intentions. Implementation intentions are simple action plans stipulating where, when, and how one will perform an intended behaviour. These promote goal-directed action.

Planning one’s goal striving with implementation is helpful for two reasons. These are: 1) By specifying a situation for enacting one’s intentions in advance, the mental representation of this critical situation is highly accessible in memory and therefore more easily detected as a good opportunity to act on one’s intentions. 2) By linking this critical situation to a specific goal-directed behaviour in an if-them structure, the control of the behaviour is delegated from the self to the specified situational cue, resulting in automatic elicitation of this goal-directed behaviour when the situation is encountered.

Implementation intentions as a strategy for breaking habits

Habits and implementation intentions seem to instigate similar automatic responses that differ only in origin. Implementation intentions could be used to promote the initiation of new, wanted behaviours, and break existing unwanted habits.

When attempting to alter existing behaviour patterns, implementation intentions might be used to link a new, desired behaviour to the situation that previously triggered the habitual behaviour.

Processes by which implementation intentions overrule habits

Recent studies provide evidence for the notion that implementation intentions that link a critical cue for habitual response to an alternative response can effectively overrule habitual responses.

The mechanisms underlying the efficacy of implementation intentions is that they create a strong association between the cue and the response specified in the if-them plan.

According to the goal systems theory, if a goal activates one means, the activation of an alternative means for this goal is inhibited. Inhibitory links exist between two subgoals serving the same overarching goal.

Investigations in this paper

Study 1

Discussion

Forming counterhabitual implementation intentions resulted in that the habitual means no longer had a cognitive advantage over the alternative means.

Study 2

Discussion

Implementation intentions linking a critical cue for the habitual response to a healthier alternative can alter the chances for the habitual and alternative responses of winning the race for activation on being primed with the critical cue.

Study 3

Discussion

After forming a counterhabitual implementation intention, the habitual means no longer showed a stronger mental link to the critical situation than the alternative means. To be most effective, counterhabitual implementation intentions should target truly personal critical cues that represent the actual reason for the habitual behaviour.

General discussion

Implementation intentions that link a critical cue for a habitual response to an alternative response cause habitual and alternative means to become equally accessible. It does not immediately replace the old habit by a new habit.

Although a new habit is not created as a direct result of forming a counterhabitual implementation intention, it is most likely only a matter of time before a new habit is established.