Time perspective and smartphone addiction among college students: the mediating role of perceived stress

Few studies have examined the impact that the deviation from balanced time perspective (DBTP) had on mobile phone addiction during the COVID-19 normalization prevention and control phase. Therefore, this study sought to determine the associations between DBTP, depression and anxiety, self-control, and adolescent mobile phone addiction. The moderated mediating model was tested using the SPSS PROCESS model. The sample was 1,164 adolescents from different regional areas of Sichuan, China. From February to March 2020, participants completed the Zimbardo time perspective inventory (ZTPI), the brief symptom inventory for physical and mental health (BSI-18), the self-control scale (SCS), and the Chinese version of the mobile phone addiction index (MPAI). The DBTP was significantly and positively correlated with mobile phone addiction, depressive and anxiety symptoms mediated the relationship between DBTP and mobile phone addiction, self-control moderated the indirect effect of DBTP on mobile phone addiction, and as the level of self-control increased, the effect of DBTP on anxiety and depression and the effect of depression and anxiety on mobile phone addiction weakened. During the COVID-19 pandemic, DBTP and lower self-control were risk factors for higher mobile phone addiction in adolescents. Therefore, guiding adolescents to balance their time perspective and enhance their self-control could strengthen their psychological well-being and reduce addictive mobile phone behaviors. This research was supported by "Youth Fund of the Ministry of Education" (18YJCZH233): "Research on the plastic mechanism of decision-making impulsiveness of anxious groups in the context of risk society."

Mobile phone addiction (MPA) is a prevalent problem among college students, and Chinese college students are a high-risk group for smartphone addiction. MPA has a negative impact on the physical and mental health and academic performance of college students. Studies have explored the influence of many factors on MPA, such as the characteristics of the smartphone itself, the characteristics of the smartphone user, and the environment. However, to date, no studies have explored the protective and risk factors for MPA from the perspective of personality traits. From this perspective, this study explored the influence of time perspective and trait self-control on MPA to identify effective measures to prevent and intervene in MPA in college students. The participants in this cross-sectional study were 526 Chinese college students. They completed the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, the Self-Control Scale and the Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale using an online questionnaire tool. Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the relationships among time perspective, self-control and MPA. A latent variable mediation analysis of the structural equation model was used to examine the mediating role of self-control in the relationship between time perspective and MPA. Various dimensions of time perspective were strongly associated with MPA. Among these dimensions, past negative (r = 0.397, p<0.001), present hedonistic (r = 0.207, p<0.001), and present fatalistic perspectives (r = 0.444, p<0.001) were positively associated with MPA, while a future time perspective (r = -0.200, p<0.001) was negatively associated with MPA. Mediation effects analysis showed that past negative (β = 0.034, p<0.001, 95% CI [0.020-0.051]), present hedonistic (β = 0.038, p<0.001, 95% CI [0.02-0.06]), present fatalistic (β = 0.047, p<0.001, 95% CI [0.031-0.065]) and future orientation perspectives (β = -0.093, p<0.001, 95% CI [-0.123-0.069]) indirectly influenced MPA through the mediating effect of self-control. This study confirmed that a future time perspective and self-control are protective factors for MPA and that past negative, present hedonistic and present fatalistic perspectives are risk factors for MPA. College educators can prevent MPA in college students directly by cultivating their self-control ability, as well as indirectly by increasing their use of future time perspective and reducing past negative, present fatalistic and present hedonistic perspectives.

Introduction A positive focus on the present, the only time zone which we experience directly and permanently, is at least as relevant as perspectives on the past and future in a balanced time perspective and its relation to wellbeing. Yet, few instruments examining a positive present time perspective exist. Two present-directed concepts, mindfulness and flow, that are intrinsically linked to mental wellbeing were analyzed and used to formulate a present-eudaimonic scale that complements the past and future scales of the balanced time perspective scale. The present study addresses the psychometric properties of the present-eudaimonic scale and the modified balanced time perspective scale. Method 131 participants filled out the present-eudaimonic scale, the balanced time perspective scale, the Zimbardo time perspective inventory, the five facet mindfulness questionnaire – short form, the Swedish flow proneness questionnaire and the mental health continuum – short form. Balanced time perspective was operationalized using the deviation from a balanced time perspective coefficient. Results The present-eudaimonic scale showed good psychometric properties including internal consistency, factor structure, and convergent validity. The present-eudaimonic scale explained an additional eleven percent of variance in mental health beyond the other time perspective scales. Balanced time perspective as measured with the modified balanced time perspective scale correlated significantly stronger with mental health than balanced time perspective measured with the Zimbardo time perspective inventory. Conclusions The present-eudaimonic scale fills a gap in the assessment of time perspective and the modified balanced time perspective scale is a promising way to study balanced time perspective.

The existing scales for measuring balanced time perspective (BTP) have limitations, such as poor‐fitting structures or a complex calculation method. Based on previous studies, we conceptualize BTP as an individual's overall positive outlook on the past and future and mindfully living in the present. The present study aimed to develop the Time Perspective Inventory (TPI) for Chinese adults, determine its psychometric properties, and examine a simple calculation method for generating a score to represent BTP. In study 1, a 7‐factor structure of TPI – Past Positive, Past Negative, Mindful Present, Present Hedonistic, Present Excessively Task‐oriented, Future Positive, and Future Negative – was established through exploratory (sample 1, N = 529) and confirmatory (sample 2, N = 577) factor analyses. Findings supported the internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and criterion‐related validity of the TPI. We proposed using the score difference between positive time perspectives and negative time perspectives to calculate the BTP. Findings showed that the correlations between BTP and subjective well‐being indicators and anxiety were higher than among individual dimensions of TPI. Study 2 (sample 3, N = 713) compared the effects of the TPI and the Chinese version of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI‐C) on well‐being indicators and anxiety. Results indicated that the variance of life satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect, and anxiety explained by BTP measured with TPI was higher than deviation from BTP (DBTP) measured with ZTPI‐C. Together, the TPI yields reliable and valid BTP scores among Chinese adults.

Literature review Abstract Background: Drug use is a problem that has a significant health impact on individuals and financial impact on society. Time perspective, the extent to which individuals focus on the past, present, and future, has been shown to have a significant impact on health-harming and health-protecting behaviour. Objectives: The main aim of the present review was to investigate the relationship between time perspective and drug use. It aimed to investigate which time perspectives, past, present, and future, are associated with increased or decreased drug use. It also aimed to investigate the relationship between time perspective and the way that people think about drugs and drug use (drug use cognitions). Methods: A systematic search strategy was used to identify all the available empirical research that has investigated the relationship between time perspective, as measured by the Stanford time perspective inventory or the Zimbardo time perspective inventory, and drug use. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria for review. Results: Results suggest that individuals with higher future time perspective are less likely to use illicit drugs. They are also likely to hold negative attitudes towards drug use. Individuals with higher present time perspective are more likely to use drugs, and to use them more frequently and in greater quantities. They are also more likely to hold positive views about drug use. Conclusions: There is emerging evidence to suggest that increased future time perspective is protective against drug use while increased present time perspective represents a risk factor for drug use. Empirical paper Abstract Research suggests that time perspective, the extent to which individuals focus on the past, present, and future, might play a significant role in predicting aggression. However, research in this area has typically conceptualised and measured aggression as a unitary construct. No research has, to date, considered the relationship between time perspective and clinically important subtypes of aggression: reactive-proactive and impulsive-premeditated . The present study examined whether reporting an increased deviation from a balanced time perspective, reflecting the extent to which individuals can cognitively switch between past, present and future time perspectives, predicts increased reactive and proactive aggression, and impulsive and premeditated aggression. A sample of 389 adults completed measures of aggression, time perspective and emotion regulation. As expected, proactive and premeditated aggression, which are characterised by the planned use of aggression, were not associated with an increased deviation from a balanced time perspective, suggesting that these subtypes of aggression are not associated with difficulty switching between past, present and future time perspectives. Reactive and impulsive aggression, which are characterised by unplanned, impulsive aggressive outbursts, were found to be associated with an increased deviation from a balanced time perspective, suggesting that these aggressive subtypes are associated with increased difficulties switching between time perspectives. Contrary to expectations, however, an increased deviation from a balanced time perspective was not clinically predictive of increased reactive or impulsive aggression when controlling for a range of emotion regulation abilities. Clinical implications and areas for future research are discussed in relation to the study findings.

Balanced time perspective (BTP) describes a tendency to focus on past, present and future time horizons that fosters well-being and positive life outcomes. Deviation from the balanced time perspective is a widespread method to measure the balance, but it makes assumptions regarding levels of time perspectives constituting BTP. In the present research we aimed to test the assumptions regarding levels of time perspectives constituting BTP by testing associations between time perspectives and domains of well-being in four independent samples (N = 1150). The results showed that higher well-being was fostered by greater past positive (PP) and future (F) and lower past negative (PN) and present fatalistic (PF) time perspectives in a linear manner. As for the present hedonistic (PH) perspective, the results were inconsistent indicating that this time orientation can be unrelated to well-being or related in an inverse U-shape manner. In the light of our results the optimal values for the deviation from the balanced time perspective, as measured with the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, should be revisited and changed into PN 1, PP 5, PF 1, PH 3.4, F 5, with careful consideration whether or not to incorporate PH into the formula for the deviation from the balanced time perspective at all. We also showed that the deviation from the balanced time perspective using the above values better predicts well-being than the one using previously assumed levels.

Poor mentalization, or lack of capacity to reflect on self and others in terms mental states, thoughts, and feelings, and time perspective biases were both related to mental disorders and lower wellbeing in separate studies. Expanding one prior study, we examined the relationship of mentalization and time perspective, including a measure known as deviations from the balanced time perspective (DBTP) that summarizes time perspective biases across the past, present, and future time frames. A convenience sample of 258 participants responded to a version of the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ-8) and a six-dimensional version of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (S-ZTPI). Given recent evidence that the original two-factor structure of the RFQ may need to be reconsidered, we used confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) to compare alternative models for RFQ as a first step. In line with several recent studies, the CFA favored a unitary model of RFQ-8 reflecting hypomentalization (or uncertainty). The total score showed significant associations with Past Negative, Present Fatalistic, and Future Negative dimensions of S-ZTPI, while hypomentalization was negatively associated with Future Positive. Of major interest, DBTP and hypomentalization showed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.64 for latent constructs; r = 0.62 in an adjusted model). Deviations from the balanced time perspective were substantially related to hypomentalization. Further research is required to examine the generalizability of the finding (e.g., to measures of mentalization focused on others) and to provide a better understanding of the theoretical basis of the link. Potentially shared associations in development (e.g., attachment style) and mindfulness, that may influence both time perspective and mentalization is of interest in this regard.

Sex differences in various aspects of behaviour and cognition have been widely observed. Few studies, however, have explored potential sex differences in maintaining a balanced time perspective or their underlying neural correlates. To address these questions, two studies were conducted. In Study 1, time perspective was assessed in 1913 college students (796 males and 1117 females), revealing that females had a significantly more balanced time perspective relative to males. In Study 2, 58 males and 47 females underwent an assessment of time perspective and structural brain imaging. Voxel-based morphometry analysis and cortical thickness analysis were conducted to explore associations between the structural imaging data and balanced time perspective. Compared with males, females demonstrated a more balanced time perspective in the context of lower grey matter volume in the bilateral precuneus, right cerebellum, right putamen and left supplementary motor area. Analysis of cortical thickness failed to reveal any significant sex differences. Furthermore, lower grey matter volume of bilateral precuneus was associated with more balanced time perspective among all participants. Our findings point to a critical role for the precuneus in modulating a balanced time perspective, and extend our understanding of sex differences in human cognition. Future studies are required to determine whether sex differences in balanced time perspective are predictive of functional outcomes in daily life.

BackgroundThe majority of tasks nurses complete in acute care settings are time-sensitive. Due to complex patient needs, nurses’ multitasking behavior is of growing importance. Situations involving multitasking behavior typically require nurses to switch their attention among multiple tasks and patients in a rapid fashion. Research suggests temporal individual differences such as time urgency, polychronicity, and time perspective influence decision-making. The factors suggest that balanced time perspective may facilitate multitasking. Given novice nurses commit errors related to multitasking, we evaluated the relationship between temporal individual differences, cognitive workload, and multitasking behaviors in a simulation setting.MethodsA one-group repeated measures design was used to evaluate the relationship between multitasking, demographic factors, cognitive workload, and temporal individual differences. One hundred sixty fourth-year, prelicensure nursing students independently completed two 45-min multiple patients simulations involving care of three interactive patient simulators. Participants completed the Multitasking Preference Inventory, Time Perspective Inventory, Experiences of Time survey, and Time Urgency Scale before simulation. A summary Creighton Simulation Evaluation Instrument score was used to represent multitasking. Participants completed the Task Load Index to represent cognitive workload. We calculated deviation from balanced time perspective and measured its correlation with multitasking. Regression models calculated how much variance deviation from balanced time perspective, demographic factors, and cognitive workload contributed to multitasking.ResultsStandardized test scores were more predictive of multitasking than deviation from balanced time perspective (β = 0.19, t = 2.48, p = 0.0142). As deviation from balanced time perspective increased, multitasking behaviors decreased (r = − 0.17), participants reported a higher sense of urgency (r = 0.39), and they had more frustration after simulation (r = 0.22). Deviation from balanced time perspective did not influence cognitive workload.ConclusionsNursing students who demonstrate multitasking behaviors tend to have a more balanced time perspective. Knowing students’ deviation from balanced time perspective may help educators anticipate who will need more assistance with multitasking in simulation. Nursing students frequently wait until just before graduation to provide care for multiple patients; including mention of deviation from balanced time perspective in simulation preparation may help senior nursing students become more self-aware and ultimately improve behavioral performance.

Balanced time perspective is one of the areas in time perspective research that attracts the most attention. This implies that it might be one of the mechanisms underlying well-being. Moreover, conducted analysis allows for the conclusion that there are at least two reliable ways to recognize the balanced time perspective: the method of profiles and the method of deviation from balanced time perspective. In addition, there are indications that other time perspective profiles exist, with the best investigated among them being negative time perspective profile. Despite considerable interest in this field, many issues regarding the balanced time perspective remain unaddressed. Further investigation should focus on examining the dynamic nature of the balanced time perspective, as well as the nature and significance of other suggested time perspective profiles.

Balanced time perspective and its relationship with clinical and cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia

To explore the effect of problematic mobile phone use on college students' physical activity and their relationships. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 3980 college students from three universities in Jiangsu province by random cluster sampling. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short (IPAQ-SF) measured college students' physical activity. The Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale for College Students (MPATS) measured problematic mobile phone use tendencies. College students' physical activity was measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short (IPAQ-SF), and the Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale measured their mobile phone addiction tendency for College Students (MPATS). (1) The proportions of the low-, medium-, and high-intensity physical activity were 83.5%, 10.7%, and 5.8%, respectively, with gender differences; The score of problematic mobile phone use tendency was 38.725 ± 15.139. (2) There were significant differences in problematic mobile phone use tendency among college students with different physical activity intensity (F = 11.839, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.007). (3) The level of physical activity was significantly correlated with the tendency of problematic mobile phone use (r = -0.173, p < 0.001). (4) Physical activity of college students could significantly predict the tendency of problematic mobile phone use (F (3,3605) = 11.296, p < 0.001). The physical activity of college students was mainly moderate to low intensity, while the tendency of problematic mobile phone use was high. College students' physical activity level was one of the important constraints of problematic mobile phone use tendency.

Previous cross-sectional studies have shown that meaning in life (MIL) is closely associated with college students' smartphone addiction (SA), but the causal relationship between MIL and college students' SA is uncertain. Therefore, conducting a longitudinal study to explore their relationship is very necessary. Furthermore, some studies have implied possible gender differences in the relationship between MIL and SA and the relationship between SA and MIL. Therefore, it is necessary to further examine whether there are gender differences in the above relationships. The present study constructed a three-wave cross-lag panel model to explore the relationships between MIL and college students' SA. Three waves of data were collected from 705 college students (male: 338; female: 367) in China for three consecutive years, and the interval of data collection was 1 year. These college students completed the same online questionnaire regarding MIL and SA. (1) The MIL of male college students was significantly stronger than that of female college students at time 1, time 2, and time 3, (2) Female college students' SA at time 1, time 2, and time 3 was more serious than that of male college students, (3) There were reciprocal relationships between MIL and college students' SA, (4) The influence of MIL on female college students' SA was significantly stronger than that of male college students, and (5) The influence of SA on female college students' MIL was significantly stronger than that of male college students. This study showed reciprocal relationships between MIL and SA among male college students and female college students. The findings further deepen our understanding of the relationship between MIL and SA and provide a gender perspective for preventing or intervening with college students' SA.

Introduction. The article is devoted to studying the connection between the time perspective and the hardiness of individuals with depressive disorders. Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses worldwide, which significantly reduces the quality of life. One of the insufficiently studied factors related to the severity of depression is the time perspective. A distorted time perspective may be associated with depression and an assessment of past experiences, the current situation, and plans for the future. In this study, we will look at how a balanced time perspective is interconnected with a person's ability to overcome life's obstacles and cope with difficulties.Materials and methods. Analysis of literature on depressive disorders, theoretical studies of time perspective (K. Levin, F. Zimbardo), the concept of hardiness (M. Maddi). The following methods were used as empirical methods: “Depression scale” by A. T. Beck (adapted by N. V. Tarabrina), “Hardiness survey” by S. Maddi (adapted by D. A. Leontiev, E. I. Rasskazova), “Time perspective” by F. Zimbardo (adapted by A. Syrtsova, E. T. Sokolova, O. V. Mitina). For statistical processing, the parametric Student’s t-test of differences, the parametric Pearson correlation test were used, and the statistical program “Jamovi” was used for calculations.Results. A correlation was found between low levels of hardiness, depression, and an unbalanced time perspective. Healthy respondents had higher levels of hardiness and a more balanced time perspective. The data indicate a positive orientation of respondents towards time, manifested in a positive perception of past experiences, enjoyment of the present, and optimistic expectations for the future.Discussion and conclusions. People with depression are characterized by an unbalanced time perspective that distorts their perception of the past, present, and future, as well as low levels of hardiness. Empirical analysis showed that individuals without depression have a more balanced time perspective and higher levels of hardiness indicators, such as involvement, control, and risk acceptance. Individuals without depression had more balanced time perspective indicators and higher levels of hardiness. The study findings suggest that an unbalanced perception of time may reduce hardiness by weakening self-control, motivation, and increasing the risk of depression.

Burnout syndrome is officially classified in the International Classification of Diseases as an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress. Each year it is having an increasingly negative impact on the mental and physical health of employees, as well as on health costs and business performance. With this study, we aim at verifying whether there is a greater propensity for burnout depending on an individual’s time perspective, based on the framework of Christina Maslach’s burnout syndrome theory (consisting of three burnout dimensions), and Phillip Zimbardo’s Time Perspective (consisting of five distinct temporal profiles). Within the time perspective construct, we focused on an indicator of temporal adaptation, referred to as a Balanced Time Perspective (BTP). We used the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory on a sample of 129 Polish corporate employees. We found that two dimensions of burnout (emotional exhaustion and feelings of personal achievement) were significantly correlated to a balanced time perspective, while the third (depersonalization) did not pose a significant correlation. This underlines the interrelationships between personality and burnout, which gives way to one possible solution towards the danger of burnout syndrome—balancing an individuals’ time perspective through measures such as Time Perspective Therapy. We believe that the awareness of one’s temporal profile gives way to supplement gaps in one time perspective, while deterring the excessive effects of another, resulting in a more balanced time perspective, greater mental health and protection from burnout syndrome.