Research paper
Adriaanse MA, Gollwitzer PM, de Ridder DTD, de Wit JBF, Kroese FM. Breaking habits with implementation intentions: a test of underlying processes. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2011 Apr;37(4):502-513. doi:10.1177/0146167211399102. Epub 2011 Feb 11. PMID: 21317315.
Why we cite it
Three laboratory experiments on the cognitive mechanism of counterhabitual implementation intentions. They eliminated the habitual means’ accessibility advantage, but ”the cognitive advantage of the habitual means was not immediately replaced by an automatic activation of the alternative means”. The authors infer, with ”This suggests”, that such plans increase flexibility to choose, and that behaviour will depart from habit ”only to the extent that individuals have strong alternative goal intentions”. For the project, this frames if-then plans as a way to create choice. That is the library’s application of a cognitive result, since eating behaviour over time was not measured. (Corrected 2026-09-19 from ”it’s not what you’d expect” and ”The replacement behavior does NOT become automatic”, which dropped immediately and suggests.)