Motivation and emotion/Tutorials/Time perspective

Tutorial 10: Time perspective

Resource type: this resource contains a tutorial or tutorial notes.

This is the tenth tutorial for the Motivation and emotion unit of study.

Overview

This tutorial is about the psychology of time and, more specifically, Zimbardo's model of time perspective and how it relates to motivation and emotion.

Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory

Before considering theory about time perspective:

Complete the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) (56 out of the 61 items count towards the 5 ZTPI factors; 5 are filler items).
Enter your 5 factor scores into this Google Form

Time perspective

Time perspective can be broadly divided into:

Past
Present
Future

Zimbardo (2009) further divides time perspective as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Six possible time perspective factors, based on Zimbardo (2009).

Key time perspective principles:

TP influences thoughts, feelings, and behaviour unconsciously
Each TP has benefits, but excesses create negative consequences
TPs are learned through personal experience

For more information, see an overview of time perspective types (thetimeparadox.com)

Compare scores

Compare your ZTPI scores with the:
- Norms:
  - Past Negative (Mdn = 3.00)
  - Past Positive (Mdn = 3.22)
  - Present Fatalism (Mdn = 2.33)
  - Present Hedonism (Mdn = 3.93)
  - Future (Mdn = 3.38)
  - Transcendental Future
- "Optimal" profile
  - High Past Positive (like your past)
  - Moderate Present Hedonism (choose when to select pleasure in the present)
  - Moderately high Future orientation (work for the future)
- The worst time-perspective profile includes:
  - High Past Negative
  - High Present Fatalism
  - "These people are living in a negative past and think nothing they do can change it."

Video

Watch and discuss video: Philip Zimbardo prescribes a healthy take on time (Phillip Zimbardo, 6:31 min, TED talk, 2009)

Books

Zimbardo's two books on this topic are:
- "The Time Paradox"
- "The Time Cure"

Book chapter development

Guided by student questions

Recording

Tutorial 10 recording, 2020

References

Zimbardo, P. G. & Boyd, J. N. (2009). The time paradox: Using the new psychology of time to your advantage. New York, NY: Free Press.

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