From Planning to Prospering: Does coping planning impact the Intention-Behavior Gap for academic behavior through self-efficacy?

Abstract

Many individuals find it challenging to translate their intentions into behavior and are thus left with a discrepancy between their intentions and behavior. The present study examines this discrepancy with regards to the academic behavior of text comprehension and investigates the impact that coping planning strategies have on this gap. In a sample of 105 university students, intentions and behavior to comprehend a complex text were measured and subsequently analyzed. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: either the coping planning condition or the control condition. Those in the coping planning condition received a list of potential barriers and possible ways to overcome them before they began reading the text, whereas the control group did not receive these. The gap between intentions and behavior was significantly different between those who received coping planning strategies before reading the text, compared to those who did not. Contrary to the hypothesis however, self-efficacy did not mediate this relationship. Implications of the conclusions on educational teaching and ideas for future research are discussed.