From intentions to action: An integrative review of action control theory and research

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People differ in how readily they enact their intentions. Some people manage to enact very difficult intentions -like writing a book or starting a business- under demanding circumstances -like extreme stress or oppressive bureaucracy. Other people struggle to enact even mundane intentions -like replying to an email or taking out the trash. These individual differences in intention enactment have been the central focus of action-theoretical research. Section 1 of this chapter traces the historical development of the action-theoretical perspective, from prescientific notions to Action Control Theory (ACT; Kuhl, 1984). Section 2 presents an update of ACT in the form of ACTψ (‘act-psi’). According to ACTψ, efficient action control requires the person to use affect regulation to coordinate the interplay of intention memory and intuitive behavior control. Chronic individual differences in affect regulation presumably underlie the personality disposition of action versus state orientation. Section 3 considers the measurement of action versus state orientation. Section 4 reviews research showing that, as compared with state-oriented people, action-oriented people: 1) Enact demanding and self-directed intentions more efficiently in real life and controlled settings; 2) Form, maintain, and update their intentions more readily; 3) Regulate own affective states more rapidly, are better shielded against stress and mental illness, and display more personal growth. Finally, section 5 considers how the action-theoretical perspective complements social-psychological approaches to intention-behavior relations.