title: "Instant success": turning temptations into cues for goal-directed behavior.
abstract: Contrary to lay intuition, counteractive control theory posits that tempting food cues can help individuals to act in accordance with their long-term dieting goal. However, studies have shown that temptations trigger goal-directed behavior only in successful but not in unsuccessful self-regulators. The aim of the present study was to test whether it is possible to create facilitated temptation-goal associations in unsuccessful dieters using implementation intentions (e.g., "If I see or smell chocolate then I will follow my goal to diet") and whether this indeed stimulates more successful self-regulation. It was found that implementation intentions linking a temptation to a dieting goal lead to self-perceived improved resistance to (Study 1) as well as reduced consumption (Study 2) of tempting snacks compared to a control condition. Moreover, Study 2 revealed that the reduced snack consumption was indeed related to facilitated temptation-goal associations in participants who had formed implementation intentions.
authors.affiliation: Utrecht University, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, PO Box 80140, 3508 TC, Utrecht, The Netherlands. F.M.Kroese@uu.nl
authors.forename: Floor M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Kroese
authors.forename: Marieke A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Adriaanse
authors.forename: Catharine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Evers
authors.forename: Denise T D
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: De Ridder
mesh_terms: D003463:Cues; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D007389:Internal-External Control; D009426:Netherlands; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult