THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FUTURE TIME PERSPECTIVE AND MEMORY CONTROL BELIEFS IN OLDER ADULTS

In studies with older adults, future time perspective (FTP) is most frequently assessed using the Carstensen and Lang FTP scale. However, it has been proposed that that this scale is actually composed of three interrelated subcomponents. Within a sample of 189 community-dwelling older adults (aged 60–85), we replicated a three-component structure. We also found that these subscales vary in their relationships to other measures of time perspective (i.e., future time attitudes and perceived life progress), and in their relationships to control beliefs about memory. These findings complement prior research documenting a link between FTP and control beliefs by showing that the magnitude of this association varies across FTP components. Understanding the interplay between FTP and memory control beliefs is also important as both predict important age-related outcomes and may be modifiable via intervention. The reciprocal relationship between these factors and the implications for successful aging are discussed.