Framing health messages for adolescents: Should we use objective time periods, temporal benchmarks, or both?

Michael T. McKay, Jon C. Cole, Harry R. Sumnall, Andrew J. Goudie

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Time perspective is a cognitive-motivational construct, which has been shown to be related to decision-making, motivation and adjustment. The majority of research into time perspective has been conducted in college students and/or general population samples. Focus groups were held as part of a larger investigation into the relationship between adolescent time perspectives and alcohol-related behaviours. Results show that adolescents conceptualise time in both objective and more abstract ways. In particular, they appear to conceptualise short-term past and future more objectively and long-term past and future in more abstract terms. Their conceptualisation of the present predominated on immediate events, although in some cases the present was an extended one, covering a school-related period of time.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)351 – 368
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Youth Studies
Volume15
Issue number3
Early online date1 Mar 2012
DOIs
Publication statusPublished (in print/issue) - May 2012

Keywords

  • health
  • time perspective

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