Measuring Intent: There's Nothing "Mere" about Mere Measurement Effects

Abstract

Prior work has established that measuring intents can influence the likelihood of behavior. Laboratory and field experiments extend past work and show that intentions are unique memorial structures that, once accessible, have profound influences on information processing and behavior. The results consistently demonstrate that measurement influences behavior and that measuring intent has a stronger influence on behavior than measuring attitudes. In addition, the laboratory experiment shows that measuring intents influences the accessibility and extremity of related yet previously unmeasured attitudes. However, measuring attitudes did not influence previously unmeasured intents. The research furthers our understanding of measurement effects and their impact on cognitive structure and behavior, and has implications for survey methodology and public policy. In addition, the research highlights the need for additional research on how intentions are represented in memory. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.