ABSTRACT
Intention indicates how hard a patient is willing to try, or how much effort they are willing to put toward any given behavior. This chapter introduces and elucidates the intention–behavior gap (IBG). It aims to investigate the efficacy of current proposed solutions to the IBG to provide the practitioner with options to increase medication adherence when lifestyle is the medicine. Traditionally, intention has been conceptualized as the immediate antecedent to behavior. Intention strength has also been conceptualized as intention stability, which refers to the fluctuations in intention across time. In those with high intention to engage in more physical activity, for example, having more intention stability could help. When a patient has intention to adopt a particular health behavior, the action must be initiated and subsequently maintained. Anticipated affective responses to performing a behavior have been shown to predict intention across multiple health behaviors. Practitioners should consider assessing and highlighting perceived regret, in particular, within their patient interventions.
