#5: Simple Plans, Real Actions

Adding an extra dose of behavioral science to your week with our series In a Nutshell— a collection of behavioral science principles, explained in 150 words or less, written weekly by CUBIC director Allison Zelkowitz.

Last week we introduced the intention-action gap: how human beings often know what we should do, but we have trouble following through on our good intentions.

One method for addressing this gap is called a planning prompt, a.k.a. implementation intention plan. This is a simple intervention through which people are prompted to decide when, where, and how they will do something. For example, research in the U.S. demonstrated that prompting voters to make a plan that included setting a time, locating their polling place, and identifying how they’ll get there, led to more people showing up to vote. Building on this concept, in South Africa, a plan-making tool actually reduced youths’ likelihood of engaging in and falling victim to violent crime.

Planning prompts often work because scheduling tasks helps to overcome procrastination and reduce forgetfulness; to boost their effectiveness, try telling a friend or family member about your plan.