If-then plans helped young and older adults remember to do what they planned.

The review

1. 01

   Who took part

   The studies covered 1,964 people: 995 made if-then plans and 969 got standard instructions. Young adults were in 26 comparisons and older adults in 10. Four studies of people with health problems were kept apart.

2. 02

   What they did

   Some people made an if-then plan, such as 'if this happens, I will do that'. They used words, pictures, or both. The others got standard instructions to remember.

3. 03

   What happened

   If-then plans helped overall, and also helped older adults, though their results varied more between studies. In young adults, plans made with words and pictures together helped more than pictures alone. The plans slowed people's reactions on the other task a little, without making them less accurate.

What the review found

1. HelpedProcrastination

   In 36 comparisons, if-then plans helped people act on their plans more than standard instructions did.

   • Action: Make an if-then plan for your obstacletested

   Pooled analysis of 36 studies with 1,964 people · vs people given standard instructions · behaviour was recorded

2. HelpedProcrastination

   Among older adults, if-then plans helped more than standard instructions did.

   • Action: Make an if-then plan for your obstacletested

   Pooled analysis of 10 studies with 468 people · vs people given standard instructions · behaviour was recorded

3. HelpedProcrastination

   In young adults, plans made with words and pictures together helped more than pictures alone did.

   • Action: Make an if-then plan for your obstacletested

   Pooled analysis of 13 studies · vs people who used pictures alone · behaviour was recorded

4. MixedFocus

   In young adults, if-then plans slowed reactions on the other task but did not change how accurate people were.

   • Action: Make an if-then plan for your obstacletested

   Pooled analysis of 13 studies · vs people given standard instructions · behaviour was recorded

Source