I Think of Ronald Reagan: Future Selves in the Present

Abstract

A nonlinear perspective on time (where the future exists in and affects the present) has been described by several theorists but there is little research on the extent, quality or origins of the personal future perspective. The present study examined the existence and origin of the future in the present by asking adults aged nineteen to eighty-three to: 1) project themselves into the oldest age imaginable, 2) describe their hopes and fears for that age, and 3) name role models for those hopes and fears. Data analysis revealed that length of future perspective, number of hopes and number of role models for the distant future declined with age. In addition, types of fears for the future varied with age, with older adults stressing dependency issues while younger adults reported concerns about personality and mental health. Despite age differences, most participants could name role models for both their hopes and fears for aging, but specific models were identified more often for hopes than for fears. Personalized hopes and fears for the distant future as motivators for the present are discussed.