Motivation, Construal, and the Temporal Span of the Present
Date
2016
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Haverford College. Department of Psychology
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Thesis
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eng
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Open Access
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Abstract
The way humans perceive and interact with time is a largely overlooked influence on behavior. Temporal perspective is the partition of subjective time into the past, present, and future. Little attention has been paid to how the temporal span of these time zones, specifically the length of the present, affects temporal perspective and subsequent behavior. Past research has suggested a link between subjective distance, construal, and motivation, where events perceived as closer are construed more specifically and recruit greater motivation. The present study explored whether manipulating the temporal extension of the present would manipulate subjective distance, and in turn influence how the event was categorized, construed, and prepared for. Using a timeline manipulation, students thought of a future event as either falling in the present or future time zone, and were subsequently assessed on motivation and construal. Results revealed non-significant differences between groups, suggesting either the relative independence of temporal zones from one another, or an ineffective prime unable to manipulate extension. Methodological shortcomings as well as future directions are discussed.