Abstract
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.
Highlights
Time perspectives describe individuals’ views on the past, present, and future, which are Department of Psychometrics and Psychological Diagnosis, Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, PL relatively stable individual characteristics. Zimbardo and Boyd (1999) distinguished five time perspectives that had emerged in empirical studies and were measured by the most frequently used questionnaire in the field, the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory
A U-shaped association appeared with the minimum situated below the mean past negative (PN) value, indicating that the optimal level of PN minimising negative affect would be below the PN mean, while both greater and lower values of PN would increase negative affect
Given that the quadratic association appeared for only this one well-being domain, and it explained only slightly more variance than the linear trend (17.8% vs 14.1%, respectively), we cannot conclude that the association between from the Balanced Time Perspective-Revisited (DBTP-r)
Summary
Zimbardo and Boyd (1999) distinguished five time perspectives that had emerged in empirical studies and were measured by the most frequently used questionnaire in the field, the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory. These perspectives were: Past-Negative (PN), a tendency to recall bad memories evoking negative affect; Past-Positive (PP), a tendency. Deviation from the Balanced Time Perspective-Revisited (DBTP-r) to recall good memories evoking positive affect; Present-Hedonistic (PH), a tendency to behave under the influence of appetitive stimuli; Present-Fatalistic (PF), faith in destiny and lack of control over one’s life; and Future (F), a focus on future accompanied by a tendency to organise behaviour to achieve planned goals. The studies have shown that in individuals with high levels of temporal balance, the effects of these personality traits on well-being were no longer significant, providing evidence for the moderating-attenuating role of BTP on the relationship between personality and well-being
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