The Relationship between Time Perspective and the Process and Products of Identity Formation

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between time perspective and emerging adults' identity formation, by focusing on both identity formation processes and products. A total of 108 undergraduates and vocational school students responded to a questionnaire survey, and were divided into 3 groups on the basis of their Multidimensional Ego Identity Scale (MEIS) scores, which are indicators of identity formation products. The results of ANOVA not only showed that there was a relationship between identity formation products and future time perspective, as had been shown by previous researchers, but there was also a relationship between identity formation products and present and past time perspectives, which had not been adequately covered in past research. The results of correlational analyses suggested that each identity formation process has a different meaning and function, and is triggered differently depending on the extent of one's sense of identity with regard to the product.