title: Question-behaviour effect: a randomised controlled trial of asking intention in the interrogative or declarative form.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the question-behaviour effect of measuring intention in the interrogative or declarative form combined or not with a measure of moral norm.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 762 participants was randomised according to a 2 × 2 factorial design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cognitions were assessed at the baseline, and physical activity behaviour was self-reported three weeks later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, there were no significant differences on the studied variables. An ANOVA showed a significant interaction effect between the two experimental conditions (p = 0.04). Post-hoc contrast analyses showed that the interrogative intention-only condition significantly differed from the declarative intention-only (d = 0.21, p = 0.03) and interrogative intention + moral norm (d = 0.22, p = 0.03) conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest that self-posed questions about a future action increases the likelihood of doing it when these questions are not accompanied by measures of moral norm. This provides support for using introspective self-talk to favour the adoption of behaviour.
authors.affiliation: Research Group on Behaviours and Health, Laval University, Laval, Canada. gaston.godin@fsi.ulaval.ca
authors.forename: Gaston
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Godin
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bélanger-Gravel
authors.forename: Lydi-Anne
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Vézina-Im
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amireault
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bilodeau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D009014:Morals; D009042:Motivation; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012660:Semantics; D012945:Social Values; D013336:Students, Health Occupations / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult