Researches On Time Personality With An Adaptive Orientation

Time-personality focuses on the personality characteristics and individual differences under temporal context. It is a steady tendency and character of capabilities in time-related situations, which functions in the adaptation to time-related situations and affects both physical and mental health. Research on time personality can contribute to exploring human nature, and also benefit the practice of production and daily life such as management, marketing, education and psychotherapy. Existing studies devoted a extensive discussion on several aspects such as time perspective, time orientation, time management, time urgency and procrastination. Thus, integrated model of time-personality is under construction recently. In view of existing time personality model and current argument on time pattern, conception of time personality and research paradigm, several limitations unfolded. For example, the definition of time-personality was not clear, the model of time-personality was underdeveloped, the study paradigm was simplex, strong situation was overemphasized. Consequently, this paper tried to add qualitative study and study on weak situation, as well as seeking surpports from brain science, in order to improve the structure model of time-personality with an adaptive orientation. Meanwhile, the characteristics of time-personality were also surveyed.The basic idea of this paper was first using literature study to analyse and summarize the existing research including the latest ones. Based on the longitudinal literature review, a time-personality questionnarie was developed. Then the questionnaire was tested firstly through series of correlation investigations. Evidences from self-report inventory were collected. A project test was used to test the model again and to provide evidence from implicit behavior study. In order to find surpports from brain science, ERP experiments were used to dig on one factor of time-personality. Lastly, three clinical cases were used to reveal the function of the time-personality. Thus, evidences from the individual level were collected. This paper consists of 5 researches, including 13 series of studies. Through multi-dimensional, multi-method and multi-paradigm studies, main conclusions were drawn as below:(1) The time-personality questionaire was brought up, which included 32 items. The questionnaire was found to have acceptable reliability and validity. Factor analysis found that time-personality was a multi-order and multi-dimensional structure, which included temporal obedience (punctuality and procrastination), temporal programming (management and future-orientation), temporal distribution (polychronic preference and polychronic switching) and temporal tension (impatience and past-orientation).(2) As for the demographic variable, there was significant difference of time-personality on gender and age, and the interaction of these two was also significant. The female’s scores on temporal programming and temporal tension were both higher than male. The scores of senior high school students on temporal obedience were the highest, while the scores of junior high school students on temporal programming were the lowest.(3) Results from questionnaire investigation showed that time-personality and the Big Five Personality was related. Conscientiousness and neuroticism were significant predictors of temporal obedience. Openness to experience was the significant predictor of temporal distribution. Conscientiousness and openness to experience were significant predictor of temporal programming. Extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and neuroticism were significant predictors of temporal tension.(4) As for functions of time-personality, it showed significant correlation between academic performance and time-personality. There was negative relationship between temporal distribution and several courses and the total score. Impatience was negatively related to several courses and the total score. Those who got high scores on liberal arts scored higher on management, while those who got high scores on science scored lower on polychronic preference.(5) The relationship between time-personality and symptoms/life satisfaction was explored. Results showed there was significant correlation between time-personality and mental health. Time-personality can perdict 40.8% of the symptoms, temporal obedience and temporal programming together can perdict 21.3% of life satisfaction. Those who got higher scores on SWLS scored lower on temporal obedience and higher on temporal programming, while those who got lower scores on SCL-90 scored lower on temporal obedience, temporal distribution and temporal tension.(6) The relationship between time-personality and defense style was explored. Results showed that mature defense style was more used by those who got higher scores on temporal programming, while middle mature and immature defense style were more used by those who scored higher on temporal obedience, temporal distribution and temporal tension.(7) Sentence completion techniques were uesd as projective materials. A two-order-five-factor structure of time-personality was drawn in the project test, which was similar to the time-personality model found by questionnaire investigation and factor analysis. Coincident result of across-approach study supported the stability of time-personality. Evidences from implicit behavior study were collected.(8) The performances of different time-personality in conflict task and switch task were examed using an event-related potentials (ERP) technique. Significant difference in both behavioral data and ERP data were observed. Longer response time was observed in monochronic group. Enhanced P3 amplitude was showed in conflict task in polychronic group, and enhanced N2pc and LPC amplitude was also found in switch task in polychronic group, demonstrating that polychrons may devote more effort to inhibition of irrelevant information, and may also be more exited in visual searching and attention shifting.(9) Quanitive research was conducted through 3 clinical cases, which took procrastination, impatience and past-orientation for exaple, revealing and testing the close relationship between time-personality and mental health in a narrative way, which provided evidences from the individual level.A two-order-four-factor structure model of time-personality was developed in this paper through a combinative approach of qualitative research and quantitative research. Future research should add more cross-cultural study, longitudinal study and field situation experiment study. Besides, more researches are suggested on applied area in order to meet the question on adaptivity of time-personality on a higher level.