Future Orientation Research Articles

Moroccan Secondary School English Teacher’s Perception: Science and Literary Stream Students’ Performance

The study investigates the perceptions of Moroccan secondary school teachers regarding the academic performance of science and literary stream students aged 16 to 18. Through a combination of mail surveys, unstructured interviews with English teachers, and discourse analysis, the research identifies that English as the second foreign language in Moroccan schools influences the perceived advantages of science stream students over their literary counterparts. The findings align with a previous study and suggest that science students often pursue literary studies at Moroccan universities post-baccalaureate. The research delves into the distinctive characteristics of science stream students and proposes recommendations for governmental and ministerial reforms in the Moroccan educational system. The study underscores the historical incorporation of English in the Moroccan educational system since 1956 and highlights recent developments, such as the expansion of English language teaching to middle schools. It emphasises the impact of English language learning on students’ future orientations and tendencies in higher education. Ultimately, the study aims to draw attention to English teachers’ perceptions to facilitate positive changes in the Moroccan educational system, urging the education ministry and relevant authorities to consider reforms.

Association between attachment dimensions and empathy with future orientation and resilience in a sample of women in detention: a multicenter study

Association between attachment dimensions and empathy with future orientation and resilience in a sample of women in detention: a multicenter study

Definitions of Sustainable Leadership in Education: A Systematic Review and Analysis

Sustainable leadership has become a significant focus in educational leadership. Still, concerns persist regarding the clarity of its definitions and their impact addressing critical educational needs. This study employs a systematic review to address these definitional challenges. Seven themes emerge, categorized into three meta-themes: effectiveness and impact, sustainability systems thinking, and collaborative responsibility and future orientation. These findings reveal the diversity of sustainable leadership themes and challenge the assumption that achieving a universal definition is the key to collaborative progress. This methodologically rigorous study enhances our understanding of sustainable leadership in education, offering valuable insights for further research.

Interactions of the CSF3R polymorphism and early stress on future orientation: evidence for the differential model of stress-related growth.

This study aims to explore the concept of future orientation, which encompasses individuals' thoughts about the future, goal-setting, planning, response to challenges and behavioural adjustments in evolving situations. Often viewed as a psychological resource, future orientation is believed to be developed from psychological resilience. The study investigates the curvilinear relationship between childhood maltreatment and future orientation while examining the moderating effects of genotype. A total of 14,675 Chinese adults self-reported their experiences of childhood maltreatment and their future orientation. The influence of genetic polymorphism was evaluated through genome-wide interaction studies (GWIS; genome-wide association study [GWAS] using gene × environment interaction) and a candidate genes approach. Both GWAS and candidate genes analyses consistently indicated that rs4498771 and its linked single-nucleotide polymorphisms, located in the intergenic area surrounding CSF3R, significantly interacted with early trauma to influence future orientation. Nonlinear regression analyses identified a quadratic or cubic association between future orientation and childhood maltreatment across some genotypes. Specifically, as levels of childhood maltreatment increased, future orientation declined for all genotypes. However, upon reaching a certain threshold, future orientation exhibited a rebound in individuals with specific genotypes. The findings suggest that individuals with certain genotypes exhibit greater resilience to childhood maltreatment. Based on these results, we propose a new threshold model of stress-related growth.

Characterizing the role of unpredictability within different dimensions of early life adversity.

Dimensional models of early life adversity highlight the distinct roles of deprivation and threat in shaping neurocognitive development and mental health. However, relatively little is known about the role of unpredictability within each dimension. We estimated both the average levels of, and the temporal unpredictability of deprivation and threat exposure during adolescence in a high-risk, longitudinal sample of 1354 youth (Pathways to Desistance study). We then related these estimates to later life psychological distress, and Antisocial and Borderline personality traits, and tested whether any effects are mediated by future orientation. High average levels of both deprivation and threat exposure were found to be associated with worse mental health on all three outcomes, but only the effects on Antisocial and Borderline personality traits were mediated by decreased future orientation, a pattern consistent with evolutionary models of psychopathology. Unpredictability in deprivation exposure proved to be associated with increased psychological distress and a higher number of Borderline traits, but with increased future orientation. There was some evidence of unpredictability in threat exposure buffering against the detrimental developmental effects of average threat levels. Our results suggest that the effects of unpredictability are distinct within different dimensions of early life adversity.

Strategies for Showcasing Your Strategic Leadership Skills

This article explores how leaders can demonstrate their strategic thinking skills to key stakeholders through various actions and outputs. It first defines strategic thinking and its main components, including environmental scanning, future orientation, synthesis, adaptability, and intuition. The article then discusses how leaders can communicate strategic thinking through comprehensive yet accessible strategic planning documents, ongoing messaging and communication about strategies and progress, effectively managing organizational change, strategic decision-making, and fostering continuous learning. Specific best practices and examples are provided for each area. The article aims to provide concrete guidance for leaders seeking to exemplify their strategic orientation in tangible ways. Developing a consistent repertoire of actions emphasizing environmental scanning, future visioning and adaptation can help leaders and organizations strengthen their strategic dexterity to navigate today's dynamic business environment.

Discerning the state of the art in Italy of voluntary disclosure on biodiversity and endemic species

PurposeThis study aims to examine the extent and quality of biodiversity reporting within publicly traded companies in Italy during 2022, amidst growing calls worldwide for enhanced corporate environmental responsibility.Design/methodology/approachThe study proposes a framework derived from existing biodiversity reporting literature and international guidelines on the topic. Using data from companies’ non-financial reports, the voluntary biodiversity disclosure index is quantified on disclosed information. Various quality reporting characteristics are also deepened. Sector-specific analysis is conducted across 11 industries.FindingsApproximately 30% of companies in the sample release information on their biodiversity practices/initiatives regarding biodiversity and extinction loss risks. Quantitative analysis reveals a general commitment to disclosure yet falls short of optimal standards. Qualitative insights suggest a genuine intention towards reporting exists, with notable gaps in future orientation, double materiality and mitigation strategies. The quality analysis underscores that the reporting is mainly generalised, narrative and disaggregated concerning actions to restore habitats and ecosystems.Research limitations/implicationsA limitation of this study is the observation of annual reports during one reporting period. Future studies of longer duration would provide cross-period insights into corporate behaviour.Practical implicationsPolicymakers should implement regulations and guidelines specifically tailored to biodiversity reporting, providing clear frameworks and standards for companies. Collaborative initiatives between governments, businesses and environmental organisations offer potential to develop best practices and facilitate knowledge-sharing in biodiversity reporting.Social implicationsCollaborative initiatives between governments, businesses and environmental organisations offer potential to develop best practices and facilitate knowledge sharing in biodiversity reporting.Originality/valueThe study contributes to future biodiversity disclosure research by introducing a comprehensive framework that fosters stakeholder trust and environmental accountability. It also sheds light on biodiversity stewardship among Italian companies, under EU directives.

Environmental Taxes as a Path to a Green Transition

The integration of sustainability elements into all spheres of human activities is one of the primary initiatives of policymakers in individual European countries, but also in a broader international perspective. The transition towards more sustainable production-consumption models is now becoming a challenge for European countries. This shift is an essential part of the commitments and goals that the European Union has set itself in the medium and the long-term horizon. The future economic orientations of European countries will depend not only on the willingness and effort to use classical tools in the process of creating a green future, but especially on the level of knowledge of their appropriate implementation in practice. The paper is focused on the issue of the evaluation of selected economic instruments of environmental policy (environmental taxes) in the European area in the context of the transition to a green economy. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the use of taxes with an environmental aspect across European countries and to analyse the similarities in the process of their application towards green transformation. The need for a deeper knowledge and understanding of this area is essential in the context of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the countries involved in the 2030 Agenda. Keywords: environmental taxes, sustainability, energy, transport, green transition

Effect of Digital Financial Literacy on Future Orientation: Financial Management, Spending and Saving Decision

Effect of Digital Financial Literacy on Future Orientation: Financial Management, Spending and Saving Decision

Shaping the Future Orientation of At-Risk Young Adults: The Role of Social Networks

Although future orientation (FO) is considered an important resiliencepromoting factor among at-risk youth, little is known concerning the FO of at-risk young adults. The current study explored the FO of at-risk young adults, including its motivational, cognitive and behavioral components, and investigated the contribution of various attributes of youths’ social networks. Participants were 230 at-risk young adults (18–25) who participated in Yated, the national program for at-risk young people in Israel. Results indicated relatively high levels of FO across its three components, with motivational FO being significantly higher than the behavioral and cognitive components. Attributes of the social network contributed significantly to young people’s FO. Specifically, adequacy of support was associated with motivational and behavioral FO, whereas having larger networks predicted higher levels of cognitive and behavioral FO. These findings highlight the multifaceted nature of FO and the significant yet differential impact of attributes of at-risk youths’ social networks.

Landscape of exosomes to modified exosomes: a state of the art in cancer therapy.

Exosomes are a subpopulation of extracellular vesicles (EVs) that naturally originate from endosomes. They play a significant role in cellular communication. Tumor-secreted exosomes play a crucial role in cancer development and significantly contribute to tumorigenesis, angiogenesis, and metastasis by intracellular communication. Tumor-derived exosomes (TEXs) are a promising biomarker source of cancer detection in the early stages. On the other hand, they offer revolutionary cutting-edge approaches to cancer therapeutics. Exosomes offer a cell-free approach to cancer therapeutics, which overcomes immune cell and stem cell therapeutics-based limitations (complication, toxicity, and cost of treatment). There are multiple sources of therapeutic exosomes present (stem cells, immune cells, plant cells, and synthetic and modified exosomes). This article explores the dynamic source of exosomes (plants, mesenchymal stem cells, and immune cells) and their modification (chimeric, hybrid exosomes, exosome-based CRISPR, and drug delivery) based on cancer therapeutic development. This review also highlights exosomes based clinical trials and the challenges and future orientation of exosome research. We hope that this article will inspire researchers to further explore exosome-based cancer therapeutic platforms for precision oncology.

Подготовка к выходу на пенсию как процесс: этапы и факторы

The study is relevant due to the complex nature of the retirement experience, which requires mental recovery and future planning. The aim of the study is to explore characteristics of pre-retirement individuals based on their stage in the retirement planning process. Hypothesis: Proactive coping strategies and long-term personality orientation are linked to the retirement planning process. Social and demographic factors (level of education, presence of dependents in the family) are significant in planning the retirement transition. Participants: 202 respondents aged 43-63 years (male = 49%; female = 51%), working and living in different regions of the Russian Federation. Methods (tools): an abridged version of the Stanford “Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory” (F. Zimbardo adapted by T. A. Nestik) was used to study individual differences in time perspective; the Proactive Copying Inventory (E. Greenglass adapted by E. P. Belinskaya, A. V. Vecherin, E. R. Agadullina) was used to study proactive coping strategies; The Process of Retirement Planning Scale (Jack H. Noone, Christine Stephens, Fiona M. Alpass) was used to assess the retirement planning process. Findings. The research demonstrated significant differences in the manifestation of proactive coping strategies at the stages “Ideas about Retirement” and “Preparation for Retirement”. Future orientation was markedly lower at the stages of “Ideas about Retirement” and “Decision to Start the Preparation”. The time perspective of the respondents who were at the stage of “Decision to Start the Preparation” differed significantly from other groups in their fatalism in the perception of the present. The desired age of retirement significantly exceeded the age of the planned retirement. The research revealed the significance of social and demographic characteristics for retirement planning. The main conclusions. The stage “Decision to Start the Preparation” is characterized by the fatalism of the respondents in the perception of the present. Proactive coping strategies manifest themselves at the stages of “Ideas about Retirement” and “Preparing for Retirement”. Such social and demographic factors as presence of dependents in the family and the education level of a pre-pensioner are crucial for retirement planning. Practical application. The results of the study can be utilized in counseling pre-pensioners.

Development and Validation of a Brief Multidimensional Measure of Future Orientation in Young Adults

Development and Validation of a Brief Multidimensional Measure of Future Orientation in Young Adults

Impact of Households’ Future Orientation and Values on Their Willingness to Install Solar Photovoltaic Systems

Solar energy is increasing in popularity as a renewable energy source, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Even though many governments promote solar energy by giving various incentives, its adoption rate in households is slow. Psychological factors have been relatively overlooked in solar adoption, despite the importance of social and economic factors. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate how psychological determinants impact households’ willingness to install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. This study focusses on the future orientation and personal values (biospheric, altruistic, and egoistic values) of households’ and their willingness to install solar PV systems. The research draws from three environmental psychology theories: values orientation theory, value beliefs and norms theory, and the theory of planned behaviour to construct an integrative theoretical model. A survey involving 179 respondents in Australia was conducted and analysed applying the PLS-SEM technique. Findings revealed that future orientation and values are significant predictors of household willingness to install solar PV systems. Further, findings showed that attitude and perceived behavioural control play a significant role in installing solar. The findings will assist policymakers and solar companies in developing lucrative policies and marketing strategies to promote solar PV systems among households.

Literature Review: The Use Of Artificial Intelligence In The Pharmaceutical Industry

Artificial intelligence (AI) is having an increasingly significant impact on the pharmaceutical industry, which is now undergoing a period of profound transformation as a consequence of this effect. In order to study the uses of artificial intelligence in the fields of drug research and development as well as patient care, the goal of this literature review is to investigate some of the applications. It places an emphasis on the most important breakthroughs, the difficulties that are now being faced, and the possible future orientations.

Self-inefficacy's impact on well-being indices in students self-identifying with cluttering characteristics

IntroductionCluttering, a fluency disorder characterized by fast and irregular speech patterns, receives relatively limited research attention. Consequently, the association between cluttering and measures of well-being remains unexplored. In contrast, stuttering, another fluency disorder, has been associated with anxiety and depression. The present study examines whether an individual's experience of cluttering characteristics is related to alterations in both positive and negative measures of well-being. To achieve this, we assessed the relationship between Self-Identified Cluttering Characteristics (SICC) and measures of well-being in a sizeable sample of 1201 university students. Our main objective was to explore the potential impact of self-inefficacy on the association between SICC and well-being. MethodsConsistent with prior research, participants identified themselves as having cluttering characteristics (SICC) or no-cluttering characteristics (SINCC) based on a verbal and written explanation of the disorder. They also completed questionnaires on psychological well-being indices and self-inefficacy. ResultsIn total, 276 respondents identified themselves as having cluttering characteristics. In regression models, both SICC and self-inefficacy were predictive of greater negative well-being, increased depressive symptoms, and heightened psychosomatic symptoms. Interestingly, ADHD diagnosis was associated with less negative well-being. Positive well-being indicators (positive future orientation and subjective happiness) were solely predicted by self-inefficacy. Supporting these findings, supplementary regressions including only 56 SICC participants who reported being treated for cluttering yielded similar results. Utilizing Hayes's PROCESS computational procedures to test moderation revealed that self-inefficacy significantly moderated the association between SICC and negative well-being (depressive symptoms) as well as the association between SICC and positive well-being (positive future orientation). ConclusionsThe findings underscore alterations in well-being among individuals who identify themselves as experiencing cluttering characteristics. Primarily, heightened negative well-being was noted in those with SICC, yet individual self-inefficacy reports mitigated this effect. Overall, SICC exacerbates negative well-being rather than diminishing positive well-being. These findings point to the importance of integrating mental health assessment and intervention into clinical practice for individuals with cluttering symptoms and the potential benefits of interventions targeting self-inefficacy to improve overall well-being in this population.

Adaptation and psychometric assessment of a sexual and reproductive empowerment scale in Arabic among refugee and non-refugee adolescent girls.

Sexual and reproductive empowerment (SRE) is an important determinant of women's and girls' health yet measuring it is complex due to cultural and domain-specific variations. This study describes the process of adapting an SRE scale consisting of four domains (self-efficacy; future orientation; social support; and safety) and testing its psychometric properties among Arabic speaking adolescent girls in Lebanon. An SRE scale developed in a Western context was adapted in four steps: (1) reviewing the scale and selecting culturally appropriate domains for translation to standard Arabic; (2) conducting cognitive interviews with 30 11-17-year-old adolescent girls in Lebanon; (3) administering the scale to 339 refugee adolescent girls who participated in an early marriage intervention; and (4) conducting confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the data to assess the scale's psychometric properties. The original model for the 13-item, four-domain adapted scale demonstrated poor fit in CFA. After iteratively removing two items, scale properties were improved, albeit were not optimal. The validity and reliability results for the self-efficacy domain were acceptable. Cognitive interview data revealed that Arab adolescent girls understood self-efficacy in relational terms, recognizing that autonomous decision-making is not necessarily favored but is influenced by parents and family. This study presents an effort to customize an SRE scale for use in studies on the health of adolescent girls in an Arab cultural context. Findings from cognitive interviews highlight the importance of taking into consideration relationality in adolescent sexual and reproductive decision-making. The self-efficacy domain in the adapted scale demonstrates acceptable psychometric properties and is recommended for use in health studies to capture SRE.

Green dreams are made of this: Futures consciousness and proenvironmental engagement.

Futures consciousness (FC) refers to the capacity to understand, anticipate and prepare for the future. As a form of future orientation, it encompasses five interrelated dimensions of time perspective, agency beliefs, openness to alternatives, systems perception and concern for others. We present here cross-sectional evidence that FC is related to greater environmental engagement, above and beyond other future orientation constructs. In two pre-registered studies (one convenience student sample and one representative sample; N = 1041), we found that respondents with higher futures consciousness reported greater proenvironmental behaviour (consumption behaviour, land stewardship, social environmentalism and environmental citizenship). FC proved a better predictor of proenvironmental behaviour than the Zimbardo Inventory's Future Time Perspective and the Consideration for Future Consequences Scale (Study 1). FC was also related to stronger biospheric values (Study 2). However, it was not significantly related to personal environmental footprint (derived from a 16-item calculator). Strikingly, the environmental footprint was also unrelated to the Proenvironmental Behaviour Scale, which could point to a lack of correspondence between measures of proenvironmental propensity and impact. We discuss implications for future-thinking research and interventions aiming to improve futures consciousness.

Responding to suicidal behaviour in children and young people with a child maltreatment history: A scoping review

Child maltreatment affects millions of children internationally every year. Development is negatively impacted by maltreatment increasing the likelihood of maladaptive behaviours. Associations between child maltreatment and suicidal behaviour and suicide in young people has been established. However, there is a research gap in understanding effective ways to respond to and intervene with suicidal behaviour in young people who have experienced child maltreatment. A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology to investigate interventions that may be effective in preventing and reducing suicidal behaviours in young people who have experienced child maltreatment. Inclusion criteria were studies: (a) of children and young people who engage in suicidal behaviour and have experienced child maltreatment; (b) published in English during the time period 2000–2020; and (c) focused on responses and interventions to prevent or address suicidal behaviour. Across 37 studies, several intervention targets were identified through reflexive thematic analysis including cultivation of self-compassion, gratitude and future orientation, alleviation of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and psychological distress and addressing cognitive errors and negative views of the self. Screening and clear assessment of suicidal risk by health professionals and child welfare professionals was endorsed across studies. Several evidence-based treatments were proposed to support intervening with this client group, although only Emotional Intelligence Therapy (EIT) was empirically tested with this population. Utilisation of safe systems that the child or young person is in may be beneficial in addressing and reducing suicidal behaviour, such as inclusion of families, peers and the implementation of school-based interventions strategies. Future research is needed to empirically test and assess the effectiveness of interventions.

The Impact of Cultural Differences on Leadership Styles: A Systematic Literature Review

This study synthesizes the findings from a systematic literature review of 58 articles which then was curated into 18 articles, focusing on the relationship between personality traits and leadership effectiveness across different cultural contexts. The study aimed to explore how cultural differences influence the impact of personality traits on leadership outcomes. The literature review revealed that certain personality traits, such as extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness to experience, are generally associated with effective leadership across cultures. However, cultural differences can significantly impact how these traits are perceived and valued in leaders. The study also highlighted the importance of considering cultural dimensions such as performance orientation, assertiveness, future orientation, humane orientation, institutional collectivism, in-group collectivism, gender egalitarianism, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance in understanding leadership effectiveness across cultures. The GLOBE study, which examined leadership across 62 cultures, found that certain leadership styles, such as charismatic and group-oriented leadership, were generally effective across cultures, while others, like self-protective leadership, were less effective.Furthermore, the review emphasized the role of cultural variations in leadership styles, with different cultural clusters having distinct preferences for leadership communication styles. For example, the Middle Eastern cluster preferred a more traditional leadership profile that included attributes such as familial, humble, faithful, self-protective, and considerate. In conclusion, the study underscores the complex interplay between personality traits and cultural differences in shaping leadership effectiveness. Understanding these cultural variations is crucial for developing effective leadership strategies that can be applied globally.