Conceptual and categorial analysis of the term “time perspective” in Russian and foreign psychology

Abstract

Background. For the first time in psychology, the question of the time perspective of personality was posed by K. Levin, and the term was introduced into scientific use by L. Frankl at the beginning of the last century. However, to date, there is no single understanding of this phenomenon, while there are a great many approaches to its understanding and interpretation. Thus, the concept of the time perspective of personality is quite ambiguous, and studies of time perspective are very diverse and are found in various problem areas of science, which determines the relevance of analyzing this phenomenon at the present stage.

Objectives. The study had its purpose to conduct a conceptual and categorial analysis of the term “time perspective of personality” in foreign and domestic psychology.

Methods. TThe conceptual and categorical analysis was conducted by means of the historical-prospective method to a depth of 50 years. The study considered publications of authors on the temporal perspective of personality in the period from 1974 to 2024, who gave contradictory definitions of this term or brought something new to its semantic field.

Results. The study analyzed the works of 28 authors, of which 13 are domestic, 15 are foreign. Their scientific positions in relation to the phenomenon under study are considered in the article in chronological order.

Conclusions. The presented approaches relate the phenomenon of the temporal perspective of personality to intra-personal constructs, the need-motivational sphere of personality, cognitive constructs, the sphere of perception, cognitive abilities, etc. The system-forming factor of the phenomenon is personality, although its specification and its significance in the structure of personality remains a controversial issue to this day.

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