Different Measures of Future Orientation May Yield Opposite Predictions of Environmental Attitudes and Behaviour

ZimbarFuture orientation (FO) expresses interpersonal differences affecting the creation of attitudes and behaviour in many life areas. FO is a prerequisite of sustainability, which requires considering environmental consequences for future generations. This study compared two primary measures of FO; Zimbardo’s Future Time Perspective (F-ZTP) and the Consideration of Future Consequences Scale (CFC), in the environmental context. While higher values of CFC predicted significantly higher levels of environmental variables, higher values of F-ZTP did not predict higher levels, and in some cases even predicted significantly lower levels of environmental variables. We suggest that FO is multidimensional, that different constructs capture different dimensions of FO and when temporal conflict involve social conflicts, as in most environmental conflicts, an inconsistency between the predictabilities of the constructs may emerge, revealing a conflict between the “futures” people are orienting at.