Yes I would trust a distinction between the two concepts based on: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary

Definition of VOLITION

1:  an act of making a choice or decision; also :  a choice or decision made

2:  the power of choosing or determining

Origin of VOLITION

French, from Medieval Latin volition-, volitio, from Latin vol- (stem of velle to will, wish) + -ition-, -itio (as in Latin position-, positio position) — more at will

synonyms:

accord, autonomy, choice, self-determination, free will, will

Definition of INTENTION

1:  a determination to act in a certain way :  resolve

2:  import, significance

3 a :  what one intends to do or bring about  

   b :  the object for which a prayer, mass, or pious act is offered

4:  a process or manner of healing of incised wounds

5 :  concept; especially :  a concept considered as the product of attention directed to an object of knowledge

6: plural :  purpose with respect to marriage 

First Known Use of INTENTION

14th century

Synonyms

aim, ambition, aspiration, bourne (also bourn), design, dream, end, idea, ideal, intent, goal, mark, meaning, object, objective, plan, point, pretension, purpose, target, thing

As you see the synonyms do not overlap,

best wishes

Béatrice

Hmm, I think that perhaps one way to rephrase Beatrice's thought here might be that volition is the capacity to choose whereas intention is simply direction of action. Organisms might direct their actions towards a goal of their own volition or they might do so under duress.

The question might be how much an organism wants what it sets out to do. If you take a strict view of intentional actions as pure drive satisfaction, then there are only physiological imperatives seeking a sort of homeostasis. However, in more comfortable times with fewer constraints on free behavior--close to what the psychologists Timberlake and Allison called the "bliss point"--organisms may vary as to where they find this bliss point with different activities.

We all have to pay our bills, but we can decide when and how to do so. We all have the same intention when signing the check, but we'd probably rather keep the money. Paying money to a specific recipient is extremely intention, in the very explicit terms of directing a signal in a specific direction. So, that's intention without volition, except for volition in how we go about doing things we need to. At the same time, we may spend our money how we choose with what we have left over, bringing volition into the same intentional action of spending money.

And I suppose there's also volition with out intention. We might fantasize or imagine things that are not the case or plan to do things that we do not have sufficient motivation to.

So, yes, I suppose I can trust a distinction between volition and intention, but I can understand how it may seems suspect on first glance.

Best wishes,

Damian

I confess that I am inundated with literature on this subject, have swallowed a good dea, am chewing on far more and alas having just discovered this issue discussed in RG.

nevertheless, please allow me to venture an idea.

the observation most amazing to me is how well a monkey tends to repeat a movement that stretches to a given length of a spring with flexion of an unseen and unfelt foream, the plot of the movement over time for a given force (length). After two days of 80% avoidance the force/stretch ratio required to avoid shock. Is raised 1/4 in. The monkeys amazingly get the hang of it, using a straight and narrow peak in a narrow up-> down limb flexion. Using grasp, the same form applies. But, leave one rootlet intact as a very effortful and unpredictable response occurs with no smooth narrow peak. It seems that sensory input greatly perturbs the movemen. This I think critical clue to distinction between intent and volition and will discuss soon.