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In an effort to provide a measure of time perspective that can be used across the life-span, we examined the psychometric properties of the Adolescent Time Inventory-Time Attitude Scale (ATI-TA; Mello & Worrell, 2007) in three independent samples of young ( N = 388), middle ( N = 201), and older adults ( N = 189). Results provided strong psychometric evidence that the ATI-TA can be used appropriately with individuals across adolescence and adulthood. Specifically, internal consistency estimates indicated that scores on the six subscales (Past Positive, Past Negative, Present Positive, Present Negative, Future Positive, & Future Negative) were reliable across the three samples. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that the theorized six-factor structure had acceptable fit and fit the data better than alternate models. Subsequent analyses provided support for invariance across young, middle, and older adults. Overall, these results show that the ATI-TA yields reliable scores and a valid structure across adulthood and can be used to measure time perspective throughout the life-span. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study we compared the relationships between time perspectives, the Big Five personality traits, and life satisfaction. Our results replicated past work in that personality traits and time perspectives were both associated with life satisfaction. Individuals high on extraversion and those having a past positive and a present hedonism time perspective were more satisfied with their lives; individuals high on neuroticism and those having a past negative time perspective were less satisfied with their lives. Further, hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that time perspectives accounted for an additional 13.7% of the variance in life satisfaction beyond personality traits; whereas, personality traits accounted for an additional 4.4% of the variance in life satisfaction beyond time perspectives. Mediation models demonstrated that time perspectives partially accounted for the personality and life satisfaction relationship. We discuss the possibility that most of the association between personality traits and life satisfaction may be due to individual differences in cognitive time frames. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Past studies demonstrated that grateful people report higher well-being. Research has rarely examined the mechanisms that explains this relation. In three studies (N = 787), we proposed that time perspectives may be one reasons why grateful people report higher well-being. Studies 1 and 2 used a cross-sectional design with adults and students that demonstrated a unique association between trait gratitude and well-being, which is largely explained by the past positive time perspective. Study 3 used a brief longitudinal design in a more ethnically diverse student sample and found that trait gratitude predicted life satisfaction one-month later, in part, because the grateful people reported more past positive time perspective. In short, these findings were consistent across diverse samples and remained even after controlling for the Big Five personality traits. The discussion focuses on the implications that these results have for the gratitude and time perspective literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]