Psychological distance, future time perspective, and internal-external expectancy.

Abstract

Summary Based on the formulation that psychological distance, future time perspective, and internal-external expectancy represent outcomes of the socialization process, it was hypothesized that desired psychological intimacy would be positively related to an extended future time perspective and to an internal orientation. Using a newly constructed Psychological Distance Scale, the Future Events Test, and Rotter's Internal-External Scale, administered to college students, closeness to the concepts Sister and Father was found to be associated with internal expectancy for female Ss. There was also some support for the predicted relationship between psychological closeness and an extended future time perspective. The marked sex differences on the Future Events Test suggest that psychological distance has different meanings for the sexes.