An if-then plan sped students up on a word-search task
HelpedThe short version
Students with an if-then plan for a target word were quicker on its puzzle than those who only repeated it.
- 74
- students in a word-search task
- Randomised
- groups picked at random
- Recorded
- behaviour was recorded
- 1 tool
- tested
The study
Who took part
74 university students in the UK took part. They were put into two groups at random.
What they did
One group made an if-then plan: when they saw the made-up word 'avenda', they would press a key especially quickly. The other group said the word under their breath for 30 seconds. Then everyone did a word-search task.
What happened
The if-then group was quicker on the puzzle containing the word: about 8.6 seconds on average, against 11.4 seconds. Their accuracy was no different. The authors say the gain came from spotting the cue faster and linking it more strongly to the key press.
What the study found
- Helped
Students with an if-then plan for a target word were quicker on its puzzle than those who only repeated it.
Small randomised trial of 74 students in a word-search task · vs students who only repeated the word · behaviour was recorded
How solid is this?
- Groups picked at random
- Behaviour was recorded
- Small group
Source
How do implementation intentions promote goal attainment? A test of component processes (2007)
DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2006.02.001 (opens in a new tab)
