10 Interesting, Neglected Findings by Phil Zimbardo on Time Perspective
10 Interesting, Neglected Findings by Phil Zimbardo on Time Perspective
Lessons from a Psychological Giant We Just Lost
When considering if a 60-hour workweek for decades is enough to secure a lasting legacy, reflect on the death of legendary psychologist Philip Zimbardo on October 14, 2024 (here). Despite publishing over 500 scientific articles and selling over 10 million books, discussions often narrow on his controversial Stanford Prison Experiment.
Here is a more accurate reinterpretation of what happened by
:
I could spend hours detailing his pioneering shyness interventions and how he was the first to show how deindividuation (being anonymous in a crowd) can be prosocial, leading to demonstrations of love to strangers [read it here]. This is a scientist who spent must of his time promoting societal good. To appreciate the scope of his legacy, let’s tackle his Time Perspective Theory.
I want to tackle his Time Perspective Theory.
Zimbardo Rocks: Balanced Time Perspective
Zimbardo first explored time perspective in the early 1970s, driven by a bold idea: could he shift people's orientation from the future to the present using hypnosis [here]? He targeted Stanford students, known for a near obsession with audacious ambitions, selecting those who were highly susceptible to hypnosis. Under hypnosis, these students received suggestions to distort time, allowing “the present to expand and the past and future to become distanced and insignificant.” Half of these participants merely simulated the experience, told to imagine how hypnotized people might behave and act that way throughout the study. Then, everyone was given a variety of tests to determine whether this intention to reconfigure time worked.
Indeed, students in the "expanded present" mindset laughed more, joked more, played more, became immersed in making shapes out of clay blobs, and entered flow states often - like kids rummaging through a forest. Their behavior stood in stark contrast to peers who didn’t embrace living now.
From this early research, Phil crafted Time Perspective Theory. To him, the complexity of seeking fulfillment can be winnowed down to a simple equation:
All Actions Taken + All Actions Not Taken
Inside each of us is a “central decision matrix” influenced by our psychological sense of time. You’ve spent months mastering Spanish on Duolingo, and now you're chatting away with locals in a bustling Nicaraguan market—¡qué éxito! On the flip side, you've made one too many trips to the bacon bin at the Golden Corral breakfast buffet, and now you're waddling toward an impending food coma. Similarly, choices we forgo can bring relief when proven unwise or lead to resentment when missed opportunities could have enhanced our fortune. Decisions are deeply influenced by our subjective psychological sense of time.
When considering time perspective, we can categorize our outlook by how we engage with the past, present, and future:
1. Past Positive - we cherish fond memories and traditions. Perhaps that describes you:
Do you often reflect on the happy moments from your past?
Do you enjoy sharing stories about past experiences with others?
2. Past Negative - we are preoccupied with misfortunes. Our outlook is often clouded by the belief that circumstances are unchangeable, producing a sense of stagnation.
Do you frequently think about the mistakes you've made in the past?
Do you often feel regretful about things that happened to you before?
3. Present Hedonistic - we live now —seeking pleasure, novelty, activated sensations, while avoiding suffering.
Do you prefer to live in the moment rather than plan for the future?
Do you often seek out new and exciting experiences without worrying about the consequences?
4. Present Fatalistic - we believe decisions are governed by luck or destiny. We feel powerless to change our circumstances in light of predetermined outcomes.
Do you feel that your life is largely controlled by fate?
Do you often think that planning for the future is futile?
5. Future Oriented - we trust in our ability to shape destiny through careful consideration and strategic decisions, often prioritizing long-term benefits.
6. Transcendental Future - we are motivated by the conviction that current actions will influence a meaningful existence, even after death.
Do you regularly set goals and work towards achieving them?
Do you often think about how your current actions will affect your legacy?
Past-oriented people make decisions based on negative or positive memories. Present-oriented people take immediate action based on approaching pleasure or avoiding suffering, with minimal consideration of consequences. Future-oriented people make decisions based on a reasoned assessment of possible costs vs. benefits. Zimbardo’s time perspective theory could be visualized in this way:
Yes, this entire framework might seem simple or obvious. But there is value in owning your time perspectives. If you want a different matrix for how decisions are made, it starts with modifying what gains mental priority.
You could even conceive of emotional dysfunctions as problematic time perspectives, including binge eating, substance abuse, depression, and social anxiety…
With this psychological perspective on time, let me tantalize you with…
9 Interesting Time Perspective Discoveries
People with a future oriented perspective tend to live longer because they are usually more careful and responsible.
Heroin addicts in hospitals score higher on present hedonistic and fatalistic perspectives, and lower on future orientations, compared to non-addicted patients.
Among U.S. high school students, those focused on the present are more likely to engage in risky behaviors like dangerous driving and not wearing seatbelts, while future-oriented students took fewer risks.
College students with a present hedonistic perspective are more likely to binge drink and drive recklessly compared to those who lean more toward a future orientation.
Students with a past negative time orientation are less likely to seek social support when stressed compared to those with a present positive or future orientation. [NOTE how this framework can be used in mental health interventions.]
Present oriented college students are most creative when asked to only worry about the process of making art, but least creative when driven by the final product. Future oriented students excel in creating technically skilled art when concentrating on the outcome. [NOTE how this framework can be tailored by teachers to maximize human potential.]
In Rome, women with a future orientation are more likely to attend free breast cancer screenings than those with a present time orientation.
In Brazil and Mexico, people with a future orientation are more likely to conserve water and energy with environmental concerns than those with a present time orientation. [NOTE how this framework can be used in public health campaigns.]
Homeless people in Britain are more likely to hold past negative and present fatalistic time orientations.
Zimbardo produced a formidable body of work that anyone interested in well-being should be building on. Expect more on some of his interventions in a future issue for premium subscribers.
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Todd B. Kashdan is an author of several books including The Upside of Your Dark Side (Penguin) and The Art of Insubordination: How to Dissent and Defy Effectively (Avery/Penguin) and Professor of Psychology and Leader of The Well-Being Laboratory at George Mason University.
