Future Orientation and Latinx Adolescent Development: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Future orientation is a key developmental task, and studies demonstrate that future-oriented adolescents display better adjustment. However, the state of evidence regarding the influence of future orientation within Latinx adolescent development specifically as well as the ways in which future orientation have been measured in studies of Latinx adolescents is unknown. A scoping review was conducted to a) assess how future orientation constructs have been operationalized in studies of Latinx youth and b) examine the effects of future orientation constructs in their academic achievement, risk behavior engagement, mental health, and health-promotive behaviors. The search yielded 2700 records, and 31 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed for full-text review. The studies examined dimensions of future orientation via a wide range of constructs as opposed to global future orientation. Additionally, future orientation constructs were promotive factors, buffers of risk, and key mechanisms in associations between Latinx youth’s cultural milieu and adjustment. This review underscores the need for greater consensus in the conceptualization of future orientation to improve its measurement, further research to discern the effects of future orientation constructs over the course of Latinx adolescents’ development, as well as studies that examine how future orientation constructs influence adjustment within their unique sociocultural contexts.