Future Time Perspective in Mid-to-Later Life: The Role of Personality

Objectives: Future time perspective (FTP), or the way individuals orient to and consider their futures, is fundamental to motivation and well-being across the life span. There is a relative paucity of studies, however, that explore its contributing factors in mid-to-later life, specifically. Therefore, uncovering which variables contribute to individual differences in FTP, as well as the ways these variables interact, is paramount to developing a strong understanding of this construct during this life-span stage. Method: This study used three data mining techniques (ie, elastic net, decision tree, and tree ensemble analyses) to simultaneously test several potential contributors identified in the literature, including the five-factor personality domains, several health indices, and age. Results: Personality, especially neuroticism, extraversion, conscientiousness, and agreeableness, had the most influence on FTP. Age and health were not among the most salient FTP contributors in mid-to-later life. Furthermore, decision tree analyses uncovered interactive effects of personality; several profiles of neuroticism, extraversion, and/or conscientiousness were linked with differing FTP levels. Discussion: Although the extant literature has indicated that FTP, age, and health are inextricably tied, these results indicate that there is more variability to be explained in FTP, perhaps especially when looking within specific age groups.