Moderation of cognition-behaviour consistency by properties of cognition.

The present research investigated the impact of properties of cognitions as
moderators of cognition-behaviour consistency within the Theory of Planned Behaviour
(TPB: Ajzen, 1991). Study I compared accessibility, direct experience and temporal
stability as moderators of cognition-behaviour relations for donation behaviour.
Temporal stability was the only significant moderator of cognition-behaviour
consistency. Study 2 used meta-analysis to quantify the impact of seven properties of
cognitions-accessibility, affective-cognitive consistency, ambivalence, certainty, direct
experience, involvement and temporal stability--on cognition-behaviour and cognition intention
relations. All variables moderated cognition-behaviour and/or cognitionintention
relations. Temporal stability emerged as the most effective moderator of
attitude-behaviour and intention-behaviour relations. Study 3 examined the factor
structure of properties of intentions and provided a second test of properties of
intentions as moderators of intention-behaviour relations. Principal components analysis
found a four factor solution for five properties of intentions with accessibility and
temporal stability loading on independent factors and the other factors consisting of the
other three properties. Temporal stability was the only variable to moderate intention behaviour
relations. Two further studies showed that temporal stability had a direct
effect on participants' information processing. In Study 4, participants with more stable
intentions had better recognition memory for intention-relevant information whereas
Study 5 found that temporal stability moderated the effect of a rating scale manipulation
on participants' ratings such that participants with more stable intentions were
unaffected by the manipulation, whereas participants with less stable intentions were
affected by the manipulation. Overall, the findings demonstrate that temporal stability
(a) is a conceptually distinct property of participants' cognitions, (b) is the most
effective moderator of cognition-behaviour relations in previous research, and (c)
affects participants' information processing and social judgment. These findings have
important implications both for the TPB and health-promotion interventions.