Intentions

Intentions are one of the most widely used constructs in consumer research. Wereview over 50 years of research that has helped us understand what intentionsare, their antecedents and consequences, and how best to measure and use themas a proxy for or predictor of behavior. We define intentions and differentiate themfrom other closely relatedly psychological constructs. We review several psychologi-cal theories where intentions play a central role and highlight what is known aboutthe strength of the intention–behavior relationship, and factors that moderate thestrength of that relationship. We also review more methodological research and dis-cuss what is known about how to best measure intentions and use them to predictbehavior. Finally, we suggest opportunities for continued research on intentions anddiscuss their continued relevance in a world of big data.