Bidirectional Associations Between Future Time Perspective and Substance Use Among Continuation High-School Students

Abstract

We examined whether a bidirectional, longitudinal relationship exists between future time perspective (FTP), measured with the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, and any past 30-day use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or hard drugs among continuation high school students (N = 1,310, mean age 16.8 years) in a large urban area. We found increased FTP to be protective against drug use for all substances except alcohol. While any baseline use of substances did not predict changes in FTP 1 year later. The discussion explores why alcohol findings may differ from other substances. Future consideration of FTP as a mediator of program effects is explored.

You Only Live Once: Present-hedonistic time perspective predicts risk propensity

“…For example, people high in the Present-Fatalistic TP are less likely to use condoms, regardless of their attitudes toward condom use (Protogerou & Turner-Cobb, 2011). Meanwhile, a future TP is protective against drug use for a number of substances (i.e., tobacco, marijuana, hard drugs, though not alcohol; Barnett et al, 2013). Daugherty and Brase (2010) have shown that TP predicts such activities over and above personality and demographic characteristics.…”

Stressful life events and predictors of post-traumatic growth among high-risk early emerging adults

“…This was measured using 7-items from the Future Time Perspective scale of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) (Barnett et al, 2013; Zimbardo & Boyd, 1999). Students were asked to identify how well the item describes their beliefs (e.g., “I finish projects on time by working on them a little bit every day,” “It upsets me to be late for school or other commitments,” “I keep working at difficult, boring tasks if they will help me get ahead”) using 5-point Likert scales with responses ranging from 1 = “Not at all” to 5 = “Very well” with higher scores indicating greater future time perspective.…”

The Impact of Time Perspective Latent Profiles on College Drinking: A Multidimensional Approach

“…Higher levels of Fu-P are often associated with lower levels of tobacco use (Apostolidis, Fieulaine, Simonin, & Rolland, 2006; Barnett, Spruijt-Metz, Unger, Rohrbach, Sun, & Sussman, 2013; Daugherty & Brase, 2010), cannabis use (Apostolidis et al, 2006; Barnett et al, 2013), hard drug use (Barnett et al, 2013), reckless sexual behaviors (Duangpatra, Bradley, & Glendon, 2009), and general substance use, including alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and other drugs (Keough, Zimbardo,& Boyd, 1999). Interestingly, Barnett and colleagues (2013) confirmed via a longitudinal examination of bi-directional relationships that time perspective is influencing these health behaviors rather than the health behaviors influencing time perspective, an assumption made by many but rarely assessed. These findings support the idea that individuals higher in Fu-P have the priorities to set longer-term goals; they would rather avoid long-term negative consequences than indulge in pleasing behaviors now.…”

“…Lower levels of Fu-P were associated with being a drinker (French college students; Apostolidis et al, 2006), a problematic drinker (Irish adolescents; McKay, Percy, & Cole, 2013), higher alcohol quantity, frequency, and alcohol-related problems (adjudicated adolescents; Robbins & Bryan, 2004), and more frequent drinking (high school students; Barnett et al, 2013). Fu-P was even inversely related to substance use (including alcohol) among elementary school children (Wills et al, 2001).…”