What time is it? Temporal psychology measures relate differently to alcohol-related health outcomes

Abstract

Background: Scores on temporal psychology measures continue to be associated with alcohol-related problems; however, few studies have examined these associations using more than one temporal psychology instrument. This omission is potentially problematic as not all instruments measure the same dimensions of temporal psychology. The present study aimed to address this gap in the literature.

Methods: Participants (N = 410) were opportunistically sampled from a University in the United Kingdom and completed the following questionnaires: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test; The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; The Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory; The Temporal Focus Scale; The Adolescent Time Inventory-Time Attitudes Scale; and The Consideration of Future Consequences Scale-14.

Results: Results showed weak to moderate correlations (with one exception, CFC-F and ZTPI-F) between scores on the various temporal scales, indicating that they measure related but distinct constructs. Structural equation modelling and linear regression revealed that AUDIT scores were most strongly associated with present hedonism, symptoms of anxiety were most strongly associated with negative feelings about the present, and symptoms of depression were more moderately associated with a broader range of indicators.

Conclusions: Cognitive and affective dimensions of temporal psychology relate differently to different health outcomes, and researchers need to be explicit and clear in reporting findings.

Keywords:

• Alcohol-related problems
• mental health
• time perspective
• consideration of future consequences
• time attitudes

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.