The Impact of Future Time Perspective on Self-Esteem among Korean Young and Older Adults: Does Age Matter?

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of future time perspective on self-esteem among Korean young and older adults. The participants were young adults aged from 20 to 29 (n=157) and older adults aged 60 or older (n=150). Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted. After adjusting for covariates, the results showed that age group moderated the relationship between future time perspective and self-esteem. The test of a conditional effect of age group demonstrated that young and older adults who reported higher levels of future time perspective tended to have higher self-esteem. Our findings suggest that adopting an open-ended future time perspective could positively impact the self-esteem of both young and older adults in South Korea. In addition, based on our findings, we shed light on the role of future time perspective as a psychological intervention to enhance self-esteem among young and older adults in South Korea.