The Relationship Between Future Time Perspective And Positive Effect

Aging is an important subject of elderly psychology research.Scholars of aging research mainly concentrated on the aspect of cognitive activity suggesting that the cognitive ability of the elderly,such as working memory,perceptual speed and so on,trended to decline.The decay of the cognitive function for the elderly’s daily life caused great inconvenience,However it did not show the trend of abating in the emotional aspects,but appeared higher emotions, emotional experience, and happiness.In recent years,Researchers called this phenomenon that cognitive function declined, emotional experience rose as "paradox aging".This supposed "paradox" of aging has been reconciled through careful theoretical analysis and empirical investigation,and researchers called the phenomenon of higher emotions, emotional experience "positive effect".Many studies which found the positive effect in the elderly and compared the young to the old, concluded that compared to young people, old people tended to focus on, recall and recognition more positive information.Most researchers thought that the reason for this difference is that the individual differences in future time perspective(Carstensen, Isaacowitz,&Charles,1999;LOckenhoff&Carstensen,2004).Carstensen and his colleagues (1999)proposed the individual perception of future time would affect the choice of its social objectives and emotion regulation process. When some perceived that the future time was enough,he would tend to focus on the future direction of target, such as the pursuit of knowledge, learning acquired behavior to adapt to society,but when he perceived that the future time was limited, he would be inclined to emotional control target, avoided negative information,trend to positive information.Because the elderly perceived that the future time was limited, he appeared positive effect,and then chose the goal of emotional control, avoided negative emotional states, tended to positive emotional state.It is obvious that the future time perspective will deeply influence the individual’s choice of emotion and experience.To seek and focus on positive experience, the elderly can improve the memory for information,to a certain extent,this can make up the inconvenience and impact by the basic cognitive decline.So how to change the future perceptive of the elderly,is important practical significance for the elderly to adapt the elderly life, promote positive and successful aging. In the empirical study at present,the researchers only discuss some areas between the future time perceptive and the positive effect,such as company goal and positive effect.lacking of discussing Empirical research areas between the future time perceptive and the positive effect,such as attention, memory, etc.).It is not enough to explains the relationship between future time perceptive and the positive effect.And most researchers use age instead of the future time perceptive, to exam the relationship between the age and the positive effect.This method is controversial so that it needs to be studied further.At last,the past research methods about change the future time perceptive,which is reflect future time perception is limited, is by asking participants to imagine that he will go aboard.It is essential difference that by telling the elderly their day’s have been numbered.From the empirical aspects,we discuss the relation between future time perception and the positive effect directly and deeply.At the same time, they investigate the relation between age and future time perception.It is also important theoretical guiding significance to strengthen the emotion regulation of older individuals, to promote its successful aging.This study used empirical method and exploded the relationship between future time perspective and the positive effect.and the relationship between age and future time perception.The study surveys and experimental research,randomly selected50young people and50old people,and used the revised future time perception translated by Helene H. Fung (2001)to measure future time perception.The dot-probe paradigm and recognise task to test positive effect,which is in the field of attention and memory.And by imagining Settings(asking young people to imagine that now his age is70year old,asking old people to imagine that now his age is20year old), the research changed the future time perception of the individual.When subject stayed in a state of imagination,also use the future time perception to measure future time perception,use the same paradigm to test positive effect.Through the variance analysis, correlation analysis, regression analysis,we found that:(1)In present state,there was no significant different between future time perspective and positive effect (dot-probe bias);there was significant different between future time perspective and positive effect (recognise bias)and significant intersection between future time perspective and recognise bias.Future time perspective was significantly correlated to recognition to sad.Regression analysis found that future time perception significantly predicted recognition to sad;(2)In imagine state,there was no significant different between future time perception and positive effect (dot-probe bias and recognise bias); (3)In general,there was no significant different between future time perspective and positive effect (dot-probe bias);there was significant different between future time perspective and positive effect (recognise bias)and significant intersection between future time perspective and recognise bias.Future time perception was significantly correlated to recognition to sad;(4)Low correlation was found between future time perspective and younger adult.In present state,imagine state and in general,there was no significant intersection between age and positive effect.