Five Little Pigs Five Little Pigs (and the Wolf of Time)(and the Wolf of Time)

What is Time Perspective?What is Time Perspective?

Our time perspective is the Our time perspective is the kind of glasses we kind of glasses we habitually put on when we habitually put on when we look at the world around. look at the world around.

These glasses represent the These glasses represent the way we deal with time and way we deal with time and effect many actions we effect many actions we take. take.

These glasses have three These glasses have three main types of lenses: past, main types of lenses: past, present and future.present and future.

Some of us are here-and-now Some of us are here-and-now people. Some of us are people. Some of us are stuck in the past. Some of stuck in the past. Some of us, when choosing us, when choosing between work and play, between work and play, usually go for work whilst usually go for work whilst others – for play.others – for play.

Future time perspectiveFuture time perspective

I am able to resist I am able to resist temptations when I know temptations when I know that there is work to be that there is work to be donedone

When I want to achieve When I want to achieve something, I set goals and something, I set goals and consider specific means for consider specific means for reaching those goalsreaching those goals

Working for future rewardsWorking for future rewards Delaying gratificationDelaying gratification More successful More successful

Present hedonistic time Present hedonistic time perspectiveperspective

It is important to put It is important to put excitement in my lifeexcitement in my life..

Little concern for the Little concern for the consequences of actions consequences of actions

Behavior is determined Behavior is determined by physical needs, by physical needs, emotions, strong emotions, strong situational stimuli and situational stimuli and social input social input

At risk of giving in to At risk of giving in to temptations, leading to temptations, leading to addictions, accidents addictions, accidents and injuries, and and injuries, and academic and career academic and career failure.failure.

Present fatalistic time Present fatalistic time perspectiveperspective

Since whatever will be Since whatever will be will be, it doesn’t will be, it doesn’t really matter what I doreally matter what I do

My life path is My life path is controlled by forces I controlled by forces I cannot influencecannot influence

HopelessnessHopelessness A belief that outside A belief that outside

forces control one’s forces control one’s life, for e.g. spiritual life, for e.g. spiritual or governmental or governmental forces.forces.

Past positive time Past positive time perspectiveperspective

It gives me pleasure to It gives me pleasure to think about my past think about my past

I get nostalgic about my I get nostalgic about my childhoodchildhood

A warm, pleasurable, often A warm, pleasurable, often sentimental and nostalgic sentimental and nostalgic view of one’s past view of one’s past

Maintaining relationships Maintaining relationships with family and friendswith family and friends

Traditions and historyTraditions and history Continuity of self over Continuity of self over

time time

Past negative time Past negative time perspectiveperspective

I often think of what I I often think of what I should have done should have done differently in my lifedifferently in my life

Painful past Painful past experiences keep experiences keep being replayed in my being replayed in my mind.mind.

Focusing on personal Focusing on personal experiences that were experiences that were negativenegative

Psychotherapy clients Psychotherapy clients

Impact of TPImpact of TP

Found to be related to many attitudes, values, Found to be related to many attitudes, values, and status variables, such as, educational and status variables, such as, educational achievement, health, sleep and dreaming achievement, health, sleep and dreaming patterns, romantic partner choices and more patterns, romantic partner choices and more (Zimbardo & Boyd, 1999) (Zimbardo & Boyd, 1999)

Indicative of choice of food, health choices, Indicative of choice of food, health choices, parental marital state, desire to spend time with parental marital state, desire to spend time with friends and perceived time pressure (Zimbardo friends and perceived time pressure (Zimbardo & Boyd, 1999) & Boyd, 1999)

Predictive for a wide range of behaviors, Predictive for a wide range of behaviors, including risky driving, and other forms of risk including risky driving, and other forms of risk taking, delinquency and sexual behaviors taking, delinquency and sexual behaviors (Zimbardo, Keough, and Boyd, 1997) (Zimbardo, Keough, and Boyd, 1997)

Also substance abuse of beer, alcohol and drugs Also substance abuse of beer, alcohol and drugs (Keough, Zimbardo, and Boyd, 1999).(Keough, Zimbardo, and Boyd, 1999).

Impact of TP IIImpact of TP II

TP even predicts the extent to which TP even predicts the extent to which unemployed people living in shelters use unemployed people living in shelters use their time constructively to seek jobs their time constructively to seek jobs (future-oriented), or waste time watching (future-oriented), or waste time watching TV and engaging in other non TV and engaging in other non instrumental activities and avoidant instrumental activities and avoidant coping strategies (present-oriented) (Epel, coping strategies (present-oriented) (Epel, Bandura and Zimbardo, 1999)Bandura and Zimbardo, 1999)

Significantly shorter time horizons in Significantly shorter time horizons in pathological versus social gamblers pathological versus social gamblers (Hodgins and Engel, 2002)(Hodgins and Engel, 2002)

TP & CulturesTP & Cultures Protestant nations tend to be Protestant nations tend to be

more future-oriented than more future-oriented than Catholic nations, and that is Catholic nations, and that is correlated with Gross National correlated with Gross National Product indices.Product indices.

Within countries, those living Within countries, those living in southern sections tend to be in southern sections tend to be more present-oriented than more present-oriented than those in northern regions. those in northern regions.

Cultures with more Cultures with more individualistic focus tend to individualistic focus tend to more future-oriented than do more future-oriented than do those emphasizing collectivism. those emphasizing collectivism.

Western ways of life have Western ways of life have become predominantly goal-become predominantly goal-focused and future-oriented.focused and future-oriented.

Who is the happiest?Who is the happiest?