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The Prioritization of Prospection
Eugene M Caruso1, Sam J Maglio2, Leaf Van Boven3
1University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
Summary
People tend to focus more on future events (prospection) than past events (retrospection). This bias stems from the past being fixed, while the future is uncertain and controllable, influencing our mental time travel.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Humans engage in mental time travel, recalling past events (retrospection) and anticipating future ones (prospection).
- Despite similarities, systematic differences exist between how people process past versus future information.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a conceptual framework explaining differences between retrospection and prospection.
- To investigate the influence of temporal asymmetries on mental representations and emotional engagement with time.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and conceptual analysis of research on mental time travel.
- Examination of axiomatic temporal asymmetries: past precedes future, past certainty, past controllability.
Main Results:
- People generally prioritize prospection over retrospection.
- Greater attention and emotional intensity are directed towards future events compared to past events.
- Temporal asymmetries shape mental representations and emotional engagement with past and future events.
Conclusions:
- Internalized temporal asymmetries (certainty, controllability) lead to biases in mental time travel.
- Prioritizing prospection offers theoretical and practical significance, influencing decision-making and well-being.
- Understanding these biases is crucial for cognitive and behavioral sciences.
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