MENTAL MODEL · M3648

Implementation Intentions

BehaviorHigh supportPsychology

Included

Updated 2026-08-05

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INTRODUCTION

English translation pending.

CORE DEFINITION

Proposed by psychologist Peter Gollwitzer, implementation intentions specify the when, where, and how of a goal as an if-then plan: if situation X occurs, then I will perform behavior Y. The link works only when the cue is specific, stable, and detectable; vague cues such as when I have time never activate the behavior.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

- Action automation: convert decisions that depend on willpower into reflexes triggered by the environment. - Cue design: replace vague intentions with a specific time, place, or signal you cannot miss. - Procrastination breaker: pre-decide the response long before the tempting moment arrives.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Pre-deciding the response removes in-the-moment deliberation, which is exactly where willpower usually fails. The environmental cue becomes an automatic trigger, so the behavior starts without a conscious decision and goal attainment rises sharply.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Practice this model in one real situation:

Rewrite each vague goal as an explicit if-then statement. 2. Name the trigger precisely: a time, a place, or a detectable signal. 3. Choose stable cues such as after dinner and avoid vague ones such as when free. 4. Rehearse the cue-response link mentally to strengthen the trigger. 5. Deploy it against procrastination and the knowing-doing gap.

Check to track your progress (stored locally)

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Source support: Explicit

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en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Implementation_intentionZH · Explicit
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