title: Limited time perspective increases the value of calm.
abstract: Previous findings indirectly suggest that the more people perceive their time in life as limited, the more they value calm. No study, however, has directly tested this hypothesis. To this end, using a combination of survey, experience sampling, and experimental methods, we examined the relationship between future time perspective and the affective states that people ideally want to feel (i.e., their "ideal affect"). In Study 1, the more people reported a limited time perspective, the more they wanted to feel calm and experience other low-arousal positive states. In Study 2, participants were randomly assigned to a limited time or an expanded time condition. Participants in the limited time condition reported valuing calm and other low arousal positive states more than those in the expanded time condition. We discuss the implications of these findings for broadening our understanding of the factors that shape how people ideally want to feel, and their consequences for decision making.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Chinese University of Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Da
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Chinese University of Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Helene H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Stanford University.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sims
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Stanford University.
authors.forename: Jeanne L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Chinese University of Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001143:Arousal; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology; D003643:Death; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008136:Longevity; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000067656:Optimism / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult