Time perspective and civic engagement in emerging adults
Manuela Zambianchi
The study examined the relationship between time perspective and civic participation in 388 Italian undergraduates (mean age = 20.08; SD =1.72, 19% male and 81% female). Participants filled in the Swedish Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (S-ZTPI) and a questionnaire on civic engagement. Participants show a very low involvement in political participation, preferring prosocial civic behaviours such as volunteering and donations. For the time perspective dimensions, present fatalistic is negatively associated with civic prosocial participation, while past positive, present hedonistic and future positive show positive correlations with it. Adopting a person-centred approach, four cluster profiles of functioning for time perspective and civic engagement were identified, with different levels of civic participation and time perspective organization.
Keywords
Time perspective, Civic participation, Political participation, Emerging adulthood, Positive development.
