Daily temporal profiles at work: State-level dynamics in past, present, and future focus

Temporal focus is the degree to which individuals' attention is directed toward the past, present, or future. Although prior research has underscored the importance of these dimensions, two areas require further exploration: the nature of temporal focus from a state perspective and how the dimensions of state temporal focus operate as an integrated set (Levasseur et al., 2020; Shipp, 2020; Shipp et al., 2022). Our research addresses both these issues by providing new insights into the dynamic nature of state-level temporal focus profiles and their implications for workplace behaviors. Utilizing multilevel latent profile analysis, we conducted two multiweek daily experience sampling methodology studies with full-time employees. In Study 1 (n = 162), we identify six distinct latent profiles and show that employees' membership in these profiles fluctuates across workdays. In Study 2 (n = 263), we replicate these results and identify one additional profile. Further, in Study 2, we find that daily fluctuation in profile membership is shaped by morning expectations about time affluence, time control, and economic mindsets. We also show that profile membership is associated with daily workplace outcomes, including task performance, collaboration, and withdrawal behavior. By demonstrating the variability and impact of state-level temporal focus profiles, this research advances our understanding of temporal focus in organizational contexts and sets the stage for future research in this area. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).