Considering intentions

Abstract: "Good resolutions are useless attempts to interfere with scientific laws. Their origin is pure vanity. Their result is absolutely nil".Oscar Wilde, The picture of Dorian GrayDifferent types of intentions are some of the most often used variables in marketing and consumer research. The reason is that intentions are believed to predict future behavior. Yet, as the above quote from Oscar Wilde implies, resolutions and intentions are not always translated into action.Intentions and intentionality have been at the centre of discussion for well over a thousand years in philosophy and theology. For solicitors, judges and criminals it is potentially a life and death issue, and within the fields of linguistics and psychology intentions has been given considerable interest. However, in marketing and consumer research, intentions are frequently used but very rarely reflected upon.The thesis comprises six scientific articles based on empirical studies. The articles revolve around a wide definition of intention and show that not all intentions are created equal. They contain empirical evidence and theory on such phenomenon as why so called good intentions are less predictive of subsequent behavior compared to other types of intentions, why resolve and intentions deteriorate over time, and why what a consumer wants to do, plans to do and expects herself to do can be very different things.Wanting, planning and expecting are central components in intention formation and the results in this thesis suggests that researchers and practitioners have much to gain by paying attention to what type of intention they use in their research.Niclas Öhman is a researcher at the Center for Consumer Marketing and at the Center for Retailing at the Stockholm School of Economics