title: Expectations are more predictive of behavior than behavioral intentions: evidence from two prospective studies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Understanding the gap between people's behavioral intentions and their subsequent behavior is a key problem for behavioral scientists, but little attention has been paid to how behavioral intentions are operationalized.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Test the distinction between asking people what they intend to do, as opposed to what they expect they will do.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two studies were conducted in the domains of alcohol consumption (N = 152) and weight loss (N = 141). Participants completed questionnaires assessing their behavioral intentions, expectations, and self-efficacy at baseline; alcohol consumption/weight were assessed at both baseline and follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In study 1, expectations were more predictive of alcohol consumption than behavioral intentions, controlling for baseline alcohol consumption and self-efficacy. In study 2, changes in expectations were more predictive of weight loss than changes in behavioral intentions, controlling for baseline weight and self-efficacy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings support a potentially important distinction between behavioral intentions and expectations.
authors.affiliation: Manchester Centre for Health Psychology, School of Psychological Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Coupland Street, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK, chris.armitage@manchester.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Armitage
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: Soud
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alganem
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Conner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015431:Weight Loss; D055815:Young Adult