Future time perspective: Factor structure, age pattern, and implications for psychological well-being and life...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Gerontology

Background:

• The Future Time Perspective (FTP) scale has been traditionally viewed through a one-factor model.
• Emerging research suggests a more complex, multi-factor structure for the FTP scale.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the factor structure of the FTP scale, examining two- and three-factor models.
• To explore age-related differences in FTP factors.
• To test the relationship between FTP factors, psychological well-being, and life satisfaction, with age as a moderator.

Main Methods:

• Utilized three large samples (N=2022) from Switzerland and the United States.
• Employed factor analysis to determine the structure of the FTP scale.
• Examined age patterns and moderated associations between FTP factors and well-being indicators.

Main Results:

• Confirmed a multi-factor structure of FTP, distinguishing between opportunities, extension, and constraint factors.
• No consistent curvilinear age patterns were found for FTP factors.
• The link between extension/constraint and life satisfaction varied by age, as did the association between constraint and environmental mastery.

Conclusions:

• The perception of future time, encompassing opportunities, extensions, and constraints, varies across the lifespan.
• These variations significantly influence psychological well-being and life satisfaction, particularly highlighting the importance of perceived future extensions and a lack of constraints.