Future Time Perspective and Life Events across Adulthood

Abstract

Age differences in future time perspective and the relations between future time perspective, locus of control, and past and anticipated future life events were examined in younger (ages 20 to 37) and older (ages 60 to 81) men and women. There were neither age nor gender differences in the time period participants reported thinking of most frequently. Participants reported thinking about the next few months more frequently than about other future time periods, which ranged from the next few days to many years. However, younger participants also reported thinking frequently about more distant time periods, whereas older subjects did not. Anticipation of discontinuous future events, control of impending events, and positive past events accounted for some age differences found in thinking about distant future time periods. No systematic gender differences were found.