I was, I am, I will be: Identity and time perspective before and during COVID‐19

Abstract

The ways in which youth reach a stable identity, a core developmental task of emerging adulthood, are intertwined with their perceptions of the past, present, and future. Additionally, these dynamics are embedded in and are strongly influenced by the socio‐historical context and concurrent events, such as COVID‐19. This study examines how different groups of emerging adults (university students and workers) engage in identity processes in educational/vocational and interpersonal domains and frame their perspective of time before (N = 299, Mage = 21.90; 51.4% females) and during the pandemic (N = 497; Mage = 23.11; 68.2% females). Significant differences in identity processes and time perspective emerged between the two cohorts. Moreover, significant associations between identity and time perspective were found to be similar across different identity domains and cohorts.

Time Perspective Latent Profile Analysis and Its Meaning for School Burnout, Depression, and Family Acceptance in Adolescents

“…These profiles are named as follows: profile 1-hedonistic youths focused on the present (the most frequent); profile 2-hedonistic youths focused on the present and future; profile 3-hedonistic youths focused on the present and negative past, profile 4-future-oriented youths with a positive perception of the past; profile 5-hedonistic youths with a mild past-negative and positive time perspective (the most rare). These results align with research highlighting the present hedonistic time perspective with a hedonistic, risk-taking attitude to life as a typical characteristic of the adolescent period as it represents identity exploration [36].…”

“…Additionally, Chinese adolescents reporting severe depressive and severe anxiety symptoms tended to embrace a negative perspective of their past, compared with their counterparts [ 49 ]. The non-adaptability of the negative view of the past and the fatalistic present time perspective was also reflected in educational/vocational commitment, interpersonal commitment, and diffuse-avoidant identity style [ 36 ].…”