Temporal Self: The Consistency And Inconsistency Of Past Self, Present Self And Future Self

Time and self are closely related to each other. Time-cognition and time-management are based on self, which is the core of personality. Self persists in time, and develops through time also. Self-in-time means both one's self in time and one's reflection about oneself. Man's interests in the unknown self is as limitless as the curiosity to universe is; Explorations to self is as endless as the explorations to universe also.Most researches were focused on time or self separately. This article attempted to explore temporal self based on systematic view. Temporal self means one's view of past self, present self, and future self. Nine studies explored the consistency and inconsistency of temporal self from aspects of cognition, affection, and will, respectively. Studies examined the mode of spontaneous range-definition of past, present, and future.Study one examined the tendency of the trait-description on past self, present self and future self. It was indicated that there was significant difference on the use of trait-description within different time levels. Participants chose more trait-adjectives for both past self and future self. Participants expressed temporal information more by specific events than by conventional time terms or fuzzy temporal adjectives, and more by fuzzy temporal adjectives than by conventional time terms. Participants used university-related events more than other events under all three levels of time.Study two examined the tendency of the trait-valence-description on past self, present self and future self. It was indicated that there was significant difference on the use of trait-valence-description within different time levels. Participants chose more trait-adjectives for both past self and future self. Participants used more commendatory trait-adjectives than derogatory trait-adjectives on all three levels of time. Participants used more commendatory trait-adjectives for future self than for present self or past self, and more for present self than for past self. Participants expressed temporal information more by specific events than by conventional time terms or fuzzy temporal adjectives, and more by fuzzy temporal adjectives than by conventional time terms. Participants used university-related events more than other events under all three levels of time.Study three examined the tendency for people to imagine or visualize the past, present, and future self.. It was indicated that there was significant difference on the visual perspective within different time levels. Percentages of observer's perspective on self-image in far-future and far-past were higher than in present. Percentage of observer's perspective on self-image in far-past was higher than in yesterday. Percentage of observer's perspective on self-image in far time was higher than in near time. Participants expressed temporal information more by specific events than by conventional time terms or fuzzy temporal adjectives. Participants used university-related events more than other events under all three levels of time.Study four examined relations between internal state salience and visual perspective for self-image on different time level. It was indicated that there was a negative correlation between internal state salience and visual perspective. Scores on internal state salience on level far-past and level far-future are lower than on level of yesterday, present, or tomorrow. Participants expressed temporal information more by specific events than by conventional time terms or fuzzy temporal adjectives.Study five examined relations how the attention foci affected visual perspectives on different temporal self. It was indicated that pay more attention to internal state led to more observer's perspective, whereas pay more attention to external actions led to more actor's perspective. Participants expressed temporal information more by specific events than by conventional time terms or fuzzy temporal adjectives. Participants used university-related events more than other events for past and future.Study six examined relations between attention foci and trait description for different temporal self. It was indicated that pay more attention to internal state led to less trait descriptions, whereas pay more attention to external actions led to more trait descriptions, especially for past self. Participants expressed temporal information more by specific events man by conventional time terms or fuzzy temporal adjectives, and more by fuzzy temporal adjectives than by conventional time terms. Participants used university-related events more than other events for past.Study seven examined the affective tendency toward different temporal self and the tendency of self-integration on different time levels. It was indicated that participants appraised future self as more positive man past self or present self. Self-integration level was lower in present than in past or future. There was a positive correlation between self-integration and affective tendency on all three time levels. Participants expressed temporal information more by specific events than by conventional time terms or fuzzy temporal adjectives, and more by fuzzy temporal adjectives than by conventional time terms. Participants used university-related events more than other events for all three time levels.Study eight examined the tendency of self-worth on different time levels. Both total self-worth and social common self-worth were lower for present self than for past self or future self. Total self worth and personal self-worth were higher for male participants than for female participants. Participants expressed temporal information more by specific events than by conventional time terms or fuzzy temporal adjectives, and more by fuzzy temporal adjectives than by conventional time terms. Participants used university-related events more than other events for all three time levels.Study nine examined the tendency of sense of time control in past, present, and future. Scores on sense of time control were lower in present than in past or present. Scores on dimension priority were lower in present than in past or future. Scores on dimension feedback were lower in present than in future. Participants expressed temporal information more by specific events than by conventional time terms or fuzzy temporal adjectives, and more by fuzzy temporal adjectives than by conventional time terms. Participants used university-related events more than other events for past and future. Participants used "this term" more than other events for present.This article found that temporal self presented some non-absolute symmetry, and had consistency as well as inconsistency in aspects of cognition, affection, and will. Moreover, this article found participants had a tendency to use more specific events than conventional time terms or fuzzy temporal adjectives to define temporal range. Generally, university-related events were more frequently used than other events. Limits and prospect are discussed.