Implementation Intentions, Perfectionism, and Goal Progress: Perhaps the Road to Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions

Abstract

Two studies explored whether perfectionism moderates the impact of implementation intentions on goal progress. Study 1 used an implementation intention manipulation to examine the effects of these plans in interaction with perfectionism on the progress of New Year's resolutions. Study 2 added a repeated implementation intention condition and monitored affect and monthly goal progress. The results of both studies revealed a significant backfire effect of the implementation intentions on goal progress for participants high on a particular dimension of perfectionism (socially prescribed perfectionism). These perfectionists reported doing significantly worse at reaching their personal goals when they were asked to formulate implementation intentions than when they completed a control exercise. There also was evidence that implementation planning aroused negative affect for socially prescribed perfectionists. These results are the first to suggest that implementation planning may be contra-indicated for individuals with self-critical tendencies.

Age effects in prospective memory performance within older adults: the paradoxical impact of implementation intentions

“…To our knowledge only one other study reported that implementation intentions did not produce the desired effect in a defined population: Powers et al (2005) found that socially prescribed perfectionism was associated with worse progress in an implementation intentions condition relative to the control condition. Their data suggested that the formation of implementation intentions for people with pervasive, critical, evaluative concerns appears to evoke a process that can obstruct goal progress.…”

Perfectionism and Health Behaviors: A Self- Regulation Resource Perspective

“…However, those scoring high on socially prescribed perfectionism reported worse goal progress over time when they made implementation intentions compared to when they did not. Relevant for our discussion of health behaviors, one of these studies examined progress toward New Year's resolutions, which included health behavior goals (Powers et al, 2005). Results indicated that formulating implementation intentions elicited negative affect for socially prescribed perfectionists, possibly because focusing on goals aroused negative self-evaluative thoughts about their chances of attaining these goals (Powers et al, 2005).…”

Perfectionism and the Big Five: Conscientiousness predicts longitudinal increases in self-oriented perfectionism

“…Self-oriented perfectionism, in comparison, is a more ambivalent form of perfectionism (Enns & Cox, 2002). While selforiented perfectionism too has shown positive correlations with indicators of psychological maladjustment (Hewitt & Flett, 2004), it also has shown significant positive correlations with indicators of good psychological adjustment such as positive affect, goal progress, and academic achievement (e.g., Molnar, Reker, Culp, Sadava, & DeCourville, 2006;Powers, Koestner, & Topciu, 2005;Witcher, Alexander, Onwuegbuzie, Collins, & Witcher, 2007).…”