Development and Construct Validation of the Swedish Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory

Abstract

In this study, we developed and evaluated a Swedish version of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI; Zimbardo & Boyd, 1999 ). The original version of the ZTPI was extended by including a Future Negative scale, and the psychometric properties of both versions were examined in a sample of 419 adults aged between 18 and 80 years. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) provided support both for the original five-factor solution proposed by Zimbardo and Boyd (1999 ) in a Swedish sample and for a six-factor solution with the Future Negative scale as an independent factor. These findings extend the original ZTPI and suggest that negative feelings about the future constitute a central dimension of the temporal perspective. The Swedish Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (S-ZTPI) provides a reliable and valid instrument for measuring time perspective in the context of Swedish research and to be beneficial in its application in multiple areas of psychology and related disciplines.

Insights into features of anxiety through multiple aspects of psychological time

“…This instrument contains 64 items and participants are asked how characteristic or true the item is for them using a 5-point Likert scale (1=very uncharacteristic and 5=very characteristic). Internal consistency ranges from .84 for the Past Negative scale to .70 for the Future Positive scale and test-retest reliability ranges from .85 to .60 [9].…”

“…To account for the double emotional valence associated with the future, we utilized the Swedish ZTPI (S-ZTPI) [9] for assessing time perspective. The S-ZTPI extends the original version of the ZTPI by dividing the future into two factors: the Future Positive scale and the Future Negative scale.…”

“…The Swedish Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (S-ZTPI) [9] was used for assessing time perspective. This instrument contains 64 items and participants are asked how characteristic or true the item is for them using a 5-point Likert scale (1=very uncharacteristic and 5=very characteristic).…”

“…Previous research in the area is rather sparse, and has mainly focused on various time estimation paradigms [3,7,8]. Extending this research, our study assessed multiple aspects of psychological time in relation to anxiety; from the basic ability to estimate chronometric time intervals (time estimation) to time perspective, a construct that refers to an individual's habitual approach the past, the present and the future as a personality trait [1,9].…”

Qualitative and Quantitative Trends in the Assessment of Subjective Temporality

“…It refers to the future negative, a dimension that only a small body of researchers has addressed (Holman & Silver, 2005) and without reaching a consensus about its measurement. Carelli, Wiberg, and Wiberg (2011) introduced eight items to ZTPI related with a negative view about the future which, according to the presented results, is associated with both dependent and avoidant decisional styles. Janeiro (2012) developed the Time Perspective Scale (TPS), which is formed by four temporal dimensions: Past orientation, Present orientation, Future orientation, and a four-item dimension called Anxious Vision about the Future, which presented good psychometric indicators.…”