This is really weak. Announcing a goal to friends and peers is vastly different than talking about it for a second to an interviewer. The sample sizes were unimpressive and the domain far too specific (only students, and at that only psychology and law students) for me to think this is worth generalizing or even strongly updating on. The 4th study is the most interesting one because it directly tests the underlying assumption, and supports it, but with a sample of 24 law students this isn't strong evidence.
Popularisation, extremely short
Original Article [pdf]
When intentions go public: does social reality widen the intention-behavior gap?
Source
New York University, Psychology Department, New York, NY 10003, USA. peter.gollwitzer@nyu.edu
Abstract
Based on Lewinian goal theory in general and self-completion theory in particular, four experiments examined the implications of other people taking notice of one's identity-related behavioral intentions (e.g., the intention to read law periodicals regularly to reach the identity goal of becoming a lawyer). Identity-related behavioral intentions that had been noticed by other people were translated into action less intensively than those that had been ignored (Studies 1-3). This effect was evident in the field (persistent striving over 1 week's time; Study 1) and in the laboratory (jumping on opportunities to act; Studies 2 and 3), and it held among participants with strong but not weak commitment to the identity goal (Study 3). Study 4 showed, in addition, that when other people take notice of an individual's identity-related behavioral intention, this gives the individual a premature sense of possessing the aspired-to identity.
If you have tags to suggest please do and I'll edit them in.