The intention behavior gap is when people decide they want to change their behavior, like exercising regularly, but then do not actually do it. Studies (e.g., McEachan et al., 2011) have shown that there is a relationship between intention to do physical activity and doing the activity. However when looking at a large number of studies on physical activity just deciding to do something only explains about 36% of whether it actually happens (Rhodes & de Bruijn, 2013). So, even if someone plans to do something, it does not always mean they will actually follow through.
However, researchers have found that certain things can help bridge this gap between intention and action. Things like making detailed plans, believing in yourself (self-efficacy), and having good control over your actions can make it more likely that you’ll turn your intentions into real behavior (Rhodes & Yao, 2015). When interventions are based on these ideas, they may be effective in helping people be physically active regularly.
McEachon, R. R., Conner, M., Taylor, N. J., & Lawton, R. J. (2011). Prospective prediction of health-related behaviors with the theory of planned behavior: A meta-analysis. Health Psychology Review, 5, 97 144.
Rhodes, R. E., & de Bruijn, G. (2013). How big is the physical activity intention behaviour gap? A meta-analysis using the action control framework. British Journal of Health Psychology, 18, 296 309.
Rhodes, R. E., & Yao, C. A. (2015). Models accounting for intention-behavior discordance in the physical activity domain: A user’s guide, content overview, and review of current evidence. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 12, 9.
