Maintaining hope at the 11th hour: authenticity buffers the effect of limited time perspective on hope

Four studies tested the hypothesis that limited time perceptions are associated with lower levels of hope, and that this effect is buffered by high levels of authenticity. Study 1 (n = 256) utilized a cross-sectional design in which participants completed dispositional measures of time perspective, hope, and authenticity. Three subsequent studies tested our hypothesis experimentally. In a pilot study (n = 124), participants reported their perceived authenticity, future time perspective (FTP) was manipulated (limited vs. open-ended), and state hope was assessed. Study 2 (n = 156) introduced a new manipulation of FTP, and Study 3 (n = 242) replicated Study 2 with the addition of a neutral control condition. Across all studies, individuals who perceived time as limited reported lower levels of hope relative to those who perceived time as open-ended (or those in a neutral control condition), but, importantly, this effect was attenuated for highly authentic individuals.