Conversation with a future self: A letter-exchange exercise enhances student self-continuity, career planning, and academic thinking

Future-oriented temporal perspective promotes wise reasoning

OBJECTIVE

Across three experiments (N = 622), we investigated the effect of the future temporal perspective on wise reasoning within the context of interpersonal conflicts.

METHOD

Studies 1 and 2 applied two heterogeneous measurements of wise reasoning: self-report and open-ended measurements. Participants reasoned about their recent interpersonal conflicts from a future (i.e., 1 year from now) or a present perspective. Similarly, Study 3 tested the relationship between various future temporal distances (i.e., 1 week, 1 year, 10 years, 30 years from now) and wise reasoning.

RESULTS

The future temporal perspective significantly promoted wise reasoning compared to the present perspective, especially when the focus was 30 years in the future. Moreover, reasoning about a conflict event from a future perspective first might cause a carry-over effect on reasoning from the present perspective later.

CONCLUSION

Future-oriented temporal perspective significantly improves wise reasoning.

Feeling connected but dissimilar to one's future self reduces the intention-behavior gap

The intention-behavior gap is a common phenomenon where people fail to follow through on their intentions to change their behavior and pursue their future goals. Previous research has shown that people are more likely to act in favor of their future selves when they feel similar/connected to their future self and can vividly describe them. This study compared an imagination exercise with an integrated imagination and exposure exercise using virtual reality (VR) to embody age-morphed future selves to an imagination only exercise. We expected that strengthening the similarity/connectedness and the vividness of the future self would reduce the intention-behavior gap, and exposure to the future self would have the greatest effect. Surprisingly, the results showed that strengthening connectedness reduced the intention-behavior gap, but strengthening similarity increased the gap. Additionally, the exercises were equally effective in reducing the intention-behavior gap. These findings suggest that both feeling connected to and recognizing dissimilarity to one's future self play different roles in future-oriented behavior change.

The functional connectivity between right insula and anterior cingulate cortex underlying the association between future self-continuity and delay discounting

Delay discounting refers to the tendency of individuals to devalue future rewards as the delay in their receipt increases over time. Previous studies have indicated that future self-continuity correlates with delay discounting rates. However, the neural basis underlying the relationship between future self-continuity and delay discounting is not clear. To address this question, we used voxel-based morphometry and resting-state functional connectivity analyses to investigate the neural basis underlying the association between future self-continuity and delay discounting. Behavioral result showed that future self-continuity was positively associated with delay discounting. Voxel-based morphometry analysis result indicated that gray matter volume in the right dorsal anterior insula was positively correlated with future self-continuity. Resting-state functional connectivity analysis found that functional connectivity between the right dorsal anterior insula and anterior cingulate cortex was positively associated with future self-continuity. Mediation analysis showed that the right dorsal anterior insula-right anterior cingulate cortex functional connectivity partially mediated the relationship between future self-continuity and delay discounting. These results suggested that right dorsal anterior insula-right anterior cingulate cortex functional connectivity could be the neural basis underlying the association between future self-continuity and delay discounting. In summary, the study provided novel insights into how future self-continuity affected delay discounting and offers new explanations from a neural perspective.

Reciprocal longitudinal relations between self-efficacy and coping style: The explanatory mechanism of future self-continuity

BACKGROUND

It has been demonstrated that self-efficacy and coping styles are related. However, whether there is a reciprocal longitudinal relation between self-efficacy and coping styles needs to be examined. In this longitudinal study, we tested the reciprocal impacts of self-efficacy and coping styles, taking into account the role of future self-continuity (FSC) in these effects.

METHODS

The sample included 346 university students in central and southwestern China (48.3% female; Mage = 21.20). Three waves of questionnaire data were collected at half-year intervals. Cross-lagged models were adopted for data analysis.

RESULTS

Self-efficacy at Waves 1 and 2 positively predicted positive coping style at Waves 2 and 3, and positive coping style at Waves 1 and 2 positively predicted self-efficacy at Waves 2 and 3. Self-efficacy at Waves 1 and 2 negatively predicted negative coping style at Waves 2 and 3, while negative coping style at Waves 1 and 2 did not significantly predict self-efficacy at Waves 2 and 3. These results indicated the reciprocal causation of self-efficacy and coping styles. Additionally, the mediation analysis revealed that FSC at Wave 2 played a mediating role in the unidirectional association between self-efficacy at Wave 1 and negative coping style at Wave 3.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that self-efficacy and coping style have mutual influences over time partly explained by university students' FSC. Consequently, the results offer potential applied value for promoting positive coping strategies among university students.

"Letter to my future self" as a device for assessing health education effectiveness

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether a "letter to my future self" analyzed using structural topic modeling (STM) represents a useful technique in revealing how participants integrate educational content into planned future behaviors.

METHODS

453 club-sports athletes in a concussion-education randomized control study wrote two-paragraph letters describing what they hoped to remember after viewing one of three randomly assigned educational interventions.

RESULTS

A six-topic solution revealed three topics related to the content of the education and three topics related to the participant behavioral takeaways. The content-related topics reflected the educational content viewed. The behavioral takeaway topics indicated that the Consequence-based education was more likely to generate the Concussion Seriousness[CS:23%] topic while Traditional(24%) and Consequence-based(20%) interventions were more likely to generate the Responsibility for Brain Health[BH] topic. Traditional(21%) and Revised-symptom(17%) interventions were more likely to generate the Awareness and Action topics.

CONCLUSION

Unstructured user-generated data in the form of a "letter to my future self" analyzed using structural topic modeling provides a novel evaluation of the present and likely future impact of educational interventions.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Patient educators can enhance the effectiveness of education through the application of these methods to the evaluation of and innovation in programs.

Future Self-Continuity Predicts Health-Promoting Behaviors of Chinese Rural College Students: Evidence from Mental Imagery Intervention

The purpose of this research is to investigate the prediction effect of future self-continuity (FSC) on health-promoting behaviors (Health Responsibility, Physical Activity, and Nutritional Habits) and the impact of urban-rural differences in Chinese college students, further verifying the effect of mental imagery practice on enhancing FSC and promoting health-promoting behaviors among students from rural areas. Study 1 used the Future Self-Continuity Questionnaire and a sub-scale of the Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile-II to examine the relationship between FSC and health-promoting behaviors among 788 college students (430 from rural areas and others from urban areas). Study 2 was designed to examine the impact of intervention on FSC and health-promoting behaviors among Chinese rural students. The intervention activities lasting 4 wk. 162 freshmen were randomly divided into intervention or control groups to practice the mental imagery about the future self or meditation in the present once a week. FSC and health-promoting behaviors were tested for 3 times. The results demonstrated that: (1) Rural students had lower scores in FSC and health-promoting behaviors than urban students; (2) Urban-rural differences of students moderated the effect of FSC on health-promoting behaviors; (3) The mental imagery practiced increased FSC; and (4) FSC played a complete mediating role in the effect of condition (intervention or not) on health-promoting behaviors for rural college students. Overall, these findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the relationship between FSC and health-promoting behaviors, and suggest that mental imagery practice can increase Chinese rural college students' health-promoting behaviors by enhancing their FSC.

The association between future self-continuity and problematic mobile video gaming among Chinese college students: the serial mediation of consideration of future consequences and state self-control capacity

BACKGROUND

To explore the relationship between future self-continuity and problematic mobile video gaming among Chinese college students and to examine the serial mediation of consideration of future consequences and state self-control capacity on the association between future self-continuity and problematic mobile video gaming, based on Identity-Based Motivation Theory.

METHODS

The Problematic Mobile Video Gaming Scale, Future Self-continuity Scale, Consideration of Future Consequences Scale, and Short Version of State Self-control Capacity Scale were administered to a sample comprising 800 college students (338 males accounting for 42.3%). Multivariate analysis and latent variables analysis were utilized to explore the separate mediating role consideration of future consequences and state self-control capacity played in the association between future self-continuity and problematic mobile video gaming, and their serial mediation also was investigated. The Bootstrap method was employed to test the significance of these mediation effects.

RESULTS

The negative association between future self-continuity and problematic mobile video gaming was moderately found. Students with increased consideration of future consequences from higher levels of future self-continuity have decreased their problematic mobile video gaming. Future self-continuity significantly positively predicted state self-control capacity, which in turn significantly negatively predicted problematic mobile video gaming. The serial mediation was also found.

CONCLUSION

The findings revealed why differences in identification with the current and future selves become influencing factors in problematic mobile video gaming. This study observed the mediating role that consideration of future consequences and state self-control capacity play in the association between future self-continuity and problematic mobile video gaming.

A systematic review of the impact of future-oriented thinking on academic outcomes

Future-oriented thought is a broad construct that characterize the ability to generate mental representations of the future and project oneself into a variety of hypothetical states. It is well established that the degree to which one is focused more on the past, present, or future has a variety of implications on psychological functioning. This study focuses on the relationship between future-oriented thought and academic performance of students. To bridge this gap, we conducted the first systematic review investigating the benefit of future-oriented thought on promoting positive outcomes in academic settings. Our systematic review comprised 21 studies (k = 21). Results identified a clear relationship between future-oriented thought and positive outcomes in academic settings. Furthermore, our systematic review reveals important relationships between future-oriented thought and academic engagement, as well as future-oriented thought and academic performance. Our findings suggest that those who are more future-oriented demonstrate higher levels of academic engagement compared to those who were less future-oriented. Our findings suggest that probing and guiding students toward a future goal may increase their academic engagement and performance.

Self-Continuity

Self-continuity is the subjective sense of connection between one's past and present selves (past-present self-continuity), between one's present and future selves (present-future self-continuity), or among one's past, present, and future selves (global self-continuity). We consider the motivational character of the three forms of self-continuity, their regulatory properties, and the internal or external factors that consolidate them. We also review their consequences for attitudes and judgments or decisions, motivation, intentions and behavior, and psychological and physical health. We further detail the psychological and behavioral benefits of self-discontinuity (i.e., a sense of disconnect among temporal selves). We next turn to the brain regions that are activated synchronously with self-continuity. We consider developmental perspectives on self-continuity, discuss collective self-continuity (along with its consequences and regulatory properties), and elaborate on cultural differences in self-continuity. This inaugural Annual Reviews chapter demonstrates the breadth, excitement, and sense of synergy among self-continuity researchers and points to promising research directions.

Do I decide my career? Linking career stress, career exploration, and future work self to career planning or indecision

Career planning and career decision are important tasks for college students. The process may be affected by career stress, career exploration, and future work self, with some students facing career indecision. Combining both construction career and proactive motivation model, this study investigated the relationships between career stress, career exploration, future work self, career planning and career indecision among 1,012 Chinese college students using the Structure equation model (SEM) to test the proposed mediation model. Results show that career stress negatively predicts career planning, while career exploration positively predicts career planning. The mediating role of future work self has on career stress and career exploration's effects on both career planning and career indecision was verified. Moreover, the study also found future work self's positive effects on both career planning and career indecision in Chinese college students. Finally, the study's theoretical and practical significance and implications are discussed.

Pleas for patience from the cumulative future self

Current selves wield all the power in intertemporal tradeoffs. Although one set of future selves will make similar tradeoffs in the future, another self - who we term the cumulative future self - falls on the receiving end of those dictated decisions. How current selves commune with the cumulative future self determines whether the former heed pleas, from the latter, for patience.

Temporal distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic: Letter writing with future self can mitigate negative affect

Novel coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) is spreading across the world, threatening not only physical health but also psychological well‐being. We reasoned that a broadened temporal perspective may attenuate current mental distress and tested a letter‐writing manipulation designed to connect people to their post‐COVID‐19 future selves. We conducted an online experiment with 738 Japanese participants recruited from two common survey platforms. They were randomly assigned to either send a letter to their future self (letter‐to‐future) condition, send a letter to present self from the perspective of future self (letter‐from‐future) condition, or a control condition. Participants in both letter‐writing conditions showed immediate decrease in negative affect and increase in positive affect relative to the control condition. These effects were mediated by temporal distancing from the current situation. These findings suggest that taking a broader temporal perspective can be achieved by letter writing with a future self and may offer an effective means of regulating negative affect in a stressful present time such as the COVID‐19 pandemic.