Mind the Gap?: An Intensive Longitudinal Study of Between-Person and Within-Person Intention-Behavior Relations

Jennifer Inauen; Patrick E. Shrout; Niall Bolger; Gertraud Stadler; Urte Scholz

doi:10.1007/s12160-016-9776-x

Mind the Gap? An Intensive Longitudinal Study of Between-Person and Within-Person Intention-Behavior Relations

Jennifer Inauen, Patrick E. Shrout, Niall Bolger, Gertraud Stadler, Urte Scholz

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

59 Citations (Scopus)

9 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Despite their good intentions, people often do not eat healthily. This is known as the intention-behavior gap. Although the intention-behavior relationship is theorized as a within-person process, most evidence is based on between-person differences.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study is to investigate the within-person intention-behavior association for unhealthy snack consumption.

METHODS: Young adults (N = 45) participated in an intensive longitudinal study. They reported intentions and snack consumption five times daily for 7 days (n = 1068 observations analyzed).

RESULTS: A within-person unit difference in intentions was associated with a halving of the number of unhealthy snacks consumed in the following 3 h (CI95 27-70 %). Between-person differences in average intentions did not predict unhealthy snack consumption.

CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with theory, the intention-behavior relation for healthy eating is best understood as a within-person process. Interventions to reduce unhealthy snacking should target times of day when intentions are weakest.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	516-522
Number of pages	7
Journal	Annals of Behavioral Medicine
Volume	50
Issue number	4
Early online date	22 Jan 2016
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-016-9776-x
Publication status	Published - Aug 2016

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgments This work was supported by the University of
Konstanz, Germany. The first author was supported by a fellowship of
the Swiss National Science Foundation (Fellowship P2ZHP1_155103).

Keywords

intention-behavior gap
intraindividual and interindividual associations
health behavior
snack consumption
ecological momentary assessment

Access to Document

10.1007/s12160-016-9776-xLicence: Unspecified

Accepted Manuscript
The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12160-016-9776-x
Accepted author manuscript, 301 KBLicence: Unspecified

Cite this

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title = "Mind the Gap?: An Intensive Longitudinal Study of Between-Person and Within-Person Intention-Behavior Relations",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: Despite their good intentions, people often do not eat healthily. This is known as the intention-behavior gap. Although the intention-behavior relationship is theorized as a within-person process, most evidence is based on between-person differences.PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study is to investigate the within-person intention-behavior association for unhealthy snack consumption.METHODS: Young adults (N = 45) participated in an intensive longitudinal study. They reported intentions and snack consumption five times daily for 7 days (n = 1068 observations analyzed).RESULTS: A within-person unit difference in intentions was associated with a halving of the number of unhealthy snacks consumed in the following 3 h (CI95 27-70 %). Between-person differences in average intentions did not predict unhealthy snack consumption.CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with theory, the intention-behavior relation for healthy eating is best understood as a within-person process. Interventions to reduce unhealthy snacking should target times of day when intentions are weakest.",

keywords = "intention-behavior gap, intraindividual and interindividual associations, health behavior, snack consumption, ecological momentary assessment",

author = "Jennifer Inauen and Shrout, {Patrick E.} and Niall Bolger and Gertraud Stadler and Urte Scholz",

note = "Acknowledgments This work was supported by the University of Konstanz, Germany. The first author was supported by a fellowship of the Swiss National Science Foundation (Fellowship P2ZHP1_155103).",

year = "2016",

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T2 - An Intensive Longitudinal Study of Between-Person and Within-Person Intention-Behavior Relations

AU - Inauen, Jennifer

AU - Shrout, Patrick E.

AU - Bolger, Niall

AU - Stadler, Gertraud

AU - Scholz, Urte

N1 - Acknowledgments This work was supported by the University of Konstanz, Germany. The first author was supported by a fellowship of the Swiss National Science Foundation (Fellowship P2ZHP1_155103).

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N2 - BACKGROUND: Despite their good intentions, people often do not eat healthily. This is known as the intention-behavior gap. Although the intention-behavior relationship is theorized as a within-person process, most evidence is based on between-person differences.PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study is to investigate the within-person intention-behavior association for unhealthy snack consumption.METHODS: Young adults (N = 45) participated in an intensive longitudinal study. They reported intentions and snack consumption five times daily for 7 days (n = 1068 observations analyzed).RESULTS: A within-person unit difference in intentions was associated with a halving of the number of unhealthy snacks consumed in the following 3 h (CI95 27-70 %). Between-person differences in average intentions did not predict unhealthy snack consumption.CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with theory, the intention-behavior relation for healthy eating is best understood as a within-person process. Interventions to reduce unhealthy snacking should target times of day when intentions are weakest.

AB - BACKGROUND: Despite their good intentions, people often do not eat healthily. This is known as the intention-behavior gap. Although the intention-behavior relationship is theorized as a within-person process, most evidence is based on between-person differences.PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study is to investigate the within-person intention-behavior association for unhealthy snack consumption.METHODS: Young adults (N = 45) participated in an intensive longitudinal study. They reported intentions and snack consumption five times daily for 7 days (n = 1068 observations analyzed).RESULTS: A within-person unit difference in intentions was associated with a halving of the number of unhealthy snacks consumed in the following 3 h (CI95 27-70 %). Between-person differences in average intentions did not predict unhealthy snack consumption.CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with theory, the intention-behavior relation for healthy eating is best understood as a within-person process. Interventions to reduce unhealthy snacking should target times of day when intentions are weakest.

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KW - ecological momentary assessment

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