Action control

What is action control?

Action control concerns following through on an intention and adjusting what you do as you pursue a goal. Setting the goal is the beginning. You still need to notice what is happening and decide whether to change course.

How it works

Sniehotta and colleagues (2006) studied three aspects of action control: awareness of the standard you are aiming for, self-monitoring, and effort to correct a gap. Among 122 cardiac patients followed for six weeks after rehabilitation, these measures predicted aspects of exercise and changes in intentions.

This is one use of the term.

Kuhl’s Action Control Theory

Kuhl’s broader distinction between action orientation and state orientation addresses a related but different question about how people move from intentions to action. The contrast concerns initiating or maintaining action versus remaining occupied with a state, such as a failure or unresolved decision. It should not be confused with the three monitoring components measured in the cardiac study.

Why it matters

Someone learning a language might compare completed practice with a planned schedule, notice that the chosen time is inconvenient, and move it. Monitoring is useful because it gives the person something specific to adjust.

Reviewing behavior goals can also mean changing the goal itself. A missed session may reveal a problem with the plan or available time, rather than a lack of effort. The cardiac study found predictive relationships; it did not show that the same monitoring routine works for everyone.