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Relation of functioning with beliefs about coping, and future time perspective.
J D Chubick1, C S Boland, A D Witherspoon
1Department of Psychology, Auburn University Montgomery, AL 36124-4023, USA.
Psychological Reports
|February 15, 2000
Summary
College students with a positive future outlook, as measured by the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, showed better functioning. This suggests future-oriented thinking may improve well-being.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Understanding factors influencing psychological functioning is crucial.
- Time perspective and coping mechanisms are key areas of study.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the relationship between time perspective, reasons for living, and environmental functioning in college students.
- To identify cognitive and behavioral predictors of psychological well-being.
Main Methods:
- Administered the Reasons for Living Inventory, Zimbardo's Time Perspective Inventory, and Environmental Deprivation Scale-Questionnaire to 51 college students.
- Utilized Pearson product-moment correlations to analyze the data.
Main Results:
- A significant negative correlation was found between low environmental deprivation (better functioning) and a high future time perspective score (r = -.45, p < .001).
- No significant correlations were observed between environmental functioning and the total score or Survival and Coping Beliefs subscale of the Reasons for Living Inventory.
Conclusions:
- A future-oriented cognitive style is associated with better psychological functioning in college students.
- Multidimensional cognitive and behavioral data can guide interventions to enhance functioning.
- Future research should consider larger sample sizes to improve generalizability.