Republic of the Philippines

EASTERN VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Burauen Leyte
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Course Code LIN 002 Semester 1st

Section BSED SCI 1A Academic Year 2022-2023
Lesson 9.1 The Future Self: Our Past, Present, Reporter No. Group 9
and Future

Topic Overview (Readers Idea of the Topic)

This lesson focuses on the Time Perspective Theory of Philip Zimbardo

which explains that people are likely to sort, categorize, and analyze their human
experiences into past, present, and future timeframes, influenced by personal, social, and
institutional factors.
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this section, students are expected to:
1. enumerate and discuss the factors significant in one's future;
2. formulate goals and action plans that will help one in preparing for the future; and
3. synthesize and evaluate the different aspects of one's future self necessary in preparing
for the future.

Towards an Optimistic Future

Understanding the self is not just about knowing and recognizing oneself as a
product of different life factors. The self, and its potentials and limits can be more
thoroughly understood by using a time-oriented lens which focuses on how the self
evolves from being the self of the past, of the present, and the possible self in the future.

There is now a growing interest among scholars in studying the future-oriented

aspect of the concept of the self. Studying this primarily deals with the motivational and
sociocognitive aspects of an individual's conceptualization of who he or she is and who he
or she can become in the future. This time-oriented conceptualization of the self
importantly explains how individuals construe their sense of self by using temporal
perspectives in self interpretations, and the processes that individuals use in
conceptualizing what one can possibly or potentially become.

Seren Kierkegaard once said that "life can only be understood backwards,
but it must be lived forwards." What he meant in this quote is that an individual has the
capability to plan for his or her future if he or she is able to understand and retrospectively
reflect on experiences, past choices and decisions, and past behaviors. Circumstances
Apart from ancestors the past, one may one also not be has able a more to change direct
control what he over or she present has the gone present. through Understanding in the
past but the he past or she and can taking certainly control do of something the present in
can lead to an optimistic future.
Time Perspectives Theory
theory explains The explains how Time people that Perspectives people
envision are Theory likely their experiences. to of sort, Philip categorize, Zimbardo In a
nutshell, and analyze(1999)his The Future Self their human experiences into past, present,
and future timeframes, influenced by personal, social, and institutional factors.
The way people categorize experiences in specific timeframes allow them to derive
meaning and put these in an orderly and coherent manner which leads to making
decisions that can balance the past, present, and future.
The theory also warns people against making decisions dominated by only one time
frame. Thus, in planning and setting goals, it should be based on something learned from
the past and contextualized by the present which can facilitate future growth and
development.

Based on the theory, there are five (5) time perspectives:

 Present-hedonistic individuals tend to be risk-takers, driven by sensory,

concrete factors, and driven by pleasurable sensations. They often disregard
negative consequences of their actions since they are focused on the process rather
than the outcome, and are often emotional and volatile. They are likely to succumb
to immediate pressures found in their environment, rather than make decisions
that have long-term consequences.
 Present-fatalistic individuals are those who feel their lives are out of their
control and that no matter what they do, things will not turn out as what they plan
them to be.
 Past-positive individuals are likely to remain in their comfort zone, their actions
influenced by what has worked in the past.
 Past-negative individuals, like past-positive ones are always anchored on the past
but being on the negative side, they tend to focus on the wrong decisions they have
made in the past and constantly regret them.
 Future-oriented individuals base their present choices and action on long-term
consequences. They are likely to manifest delay of gratification, and endure
negative situations if they are likely to see the benefits of doing such.
The Future Self: Our Past, Present, and Future
According to Zimbardo, a healthy perspective is one that combines past, present,
and future time perspectives. Remembering past lessons and gaining insights from both
positive and negative experiences, maximizing present opportunities and circumstances,
and planning for the future can have positive outcomes for any individual, and in this
context, students.
Entering college, students carry with them both positive and negative experiences from
high school that may serve as reminders on how they should present themselves in the
college setting. As college students, they are expected to comply with the academic
demands of their course programs. During the course of their college life, there may be
moments when they would feel stressed, hopeless, and vulnerable to vices (drinking and
smoking).
College students are bombarded by academic demands, family expectations, social
pressures, and other environmental factors that influence their personal and social
consciousness. While these experiences are part and parcel of most students' college life,
what is important is to never lose sight of their goals, both short-term and long-term.
What they do in the present will shape the entirety of their college life, assuming that they
are conscious of how their present decisions will affect the future. Thus, taking note of
time perspectives can certainly help college students in determining their futures, within
personal and professional contexts.

Activity

Name:____________________ Section_______

Instructions:
Answer the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) on this
link:http://www.thetimeparadox.com/zimbardotime-perspective-inventory/
After answering, print the summary of your results
answer following questions:

1. What is your most dominant time perspective? Do you agree with the results? Why
or why not?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
2. What is your least dominant time perspective? Do you agree with the results? Why
or why not?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Activity 2
Instructions: If you think the statement is correct, write agree, otherwise write
disagree.

1. The future is not within one's control.

2. One's future self is predominantly predetermined by fate.
 3. Past and present selves predict the future self.
4. Failures in the past can help one succeed in the future.
5. One's future lies in his or her own hands.
Definition of Terms
Present-hedonistic individuals -tend to be risk-takers, driven by sensory, concrete
factors, and driven by pleasurable sensations.
Present-fatalistic individuals -are those who feel their lives are out of their control and
that no matter what they do, things will not turn out as what they plan them to be.
Past-positive individuals -are likely to remain in their comfort zone, their actions
influenced by what has worked in the past.
Past-negative individuals, -like past-positive ones are always anchored on the past but
being on the negative side, they tend to focus on the wrong decisions they have made in
the past and constantly regret them.
Future-oriented individuals -base their present choices and action on long-term
consequences. They are likely to manifest delay of gratification, and endure negative
situations if they are likely to see the benefits of doing such.
Healthy perspective -is one that combines past, present, and future time perspectives
Time Perspectives Theory - The way people categorize experiences in specific
timeframes allow them to derive meaning and put these in making decisions that can
balance the past, present, and future.
The theory also warns people against making decisions dominated by only one time
frame.