Different measures of future orientation may yield opposite predictions of environmental attitudes and behavior

Abstract

Future orientation (FO) expresses interpersonal differences affecting the creation of attitudes and behavior in many life areas. FO is a prerequisite of sustainability, which requires considering environmental consequences for future generations. This study compared between two primary measures of FO: Zimbardo’s Future Time Perspective (F-ZTP) and Consideration of Future Consequences scale (CFC), in the environmental context. While higher values of CFC predicted signifi cantly higher levels of environmental variables, higher values of F-ZTP did not predict higher levels, and in some cases even predicted signifi cantly lower levels of environmental variables. These fi ndings suggest that different constructs capture different dimensions of FO; while F-ZTP seems to capture personal-only aspects of FO, CFC relates to more general aspects of FO, including, but not only, personal realms. When temporal confl icts involve social confl icts, as in most environmental confl icts, an inconsistency between the predictabilities of the constructs may emerge, revealing a confl ict between the “futures” people are orienting at.