Bridging the Intention-Action Gap in Life Projects: The Moderating Roles of Agency, Age, and Culture in Brazil and Portugal

Abstract

This study investigated how agency, age, and culture are associated with the coherence between Life Project (LP) identification and involvement and thus narrows the so-called intention–action gap which can be seen as the discrepancy between the two LP components. Data from 775 Brazilian and Portuguese participants aged 18-65 was used to test four regression models. Results showed a consistently strong LP identification-involvement relationship. Age significantly moderated this relationship with older adults exhibiting a stronger association than younger adults, supporting lifespan development theories that emphasize the improvement of psychological strategies with age. Agency did not moderate the identification–involvement relationship, nor did this effect vary across age groups or cultural contexts. These findings suggest that while agency is important for motivational readiness, developmental factors like age may play a more critical role in bridging the gap between having intentions to actively acting on them. This study underscores the importance of age-sensitive interventions to support goal pursuit, particularly among emerging adults.