Research paper
Rothman AJ, Sheeran P, Wood W. Reflective and automatic processes in the initiation and maintenance of dietary change. Annals of Behavioral Medicine. 2009 Dec;38 Suppl 1:S4-17. doi:10.1007/s12160-009-9118-3
Why we cite it
The central theoretical framework for understanding why starting a dietary change and maintaining it are psychologically different processes. The 2×2 matrix (reflective/automatic x initiation/maintenance) organizes the evidence showing that initiation relies on reflective processes (attitudes, intentions, self-efficacy) while long-term maintenance depends on automatic processes (habits, environmental cuing). The key insight for the project: what gets someone started is not what keeps them going — satisfaction with experienced outcomes predicts maintenance, while optimistic expectations predict initiation. This explains why many dietary interventions succeed short-term but fail long-term: they target initiation processes but neglect the shift to automaticity needed for maintenance.
DOI: 10.1007/s12160-009-9118-3 · PubMed 19787308 · Publisher