Background/Purpose: Socioemotional selectivity theory (SST) suggests that people with a limited future-time perspective (FTP) are more likely to prioritize emotionally meaningful goals. This motivational change may be emotionally adaptive, but yet compromise the striving for health and other social goals because the self-regulation of behaviors depends on the ability to foresee future benefits. This study examined whether FTP predicts health-related behaviors and the quality of relationships among Chinese older adults.
Method: The current analysis included the second wave of a panel survey study, in which a measure of future-time perspective was included. Chinese older adults in Hong Kong (n=342; Mean age=74.75, SD=7.07; 62.9% female) were recruited to complete a survey on health-related behaviors and the quality of interactions with social partners in their social network.
Analysis/Results: Controlling for age, sex, perceived health, cognitive impairment, extraversion and neuroticism, results of regression analyses showed that a limited FTP predicted less physical activity (standardized beta[β]=-.18, p<.01), more drinking (odds ratio=1.75, p<.05), smaller network size (β=-.23, p<.001), less positive social exchanges within emotionally close (β=-.19, p<.01) and peripheral social network (β=-.12, p<.05), and more negative social exchanges within peripheral network (β=.12, p<.05). However, FTP did not predict dietary behaviors, smoking, and negative social exchanges within close social network.
Conclusions: Findings showed that the process of emotion adaptation might compromise some health-related behaviors and the quality of social interactions. Base on SST, emotion-focused strategies can be more fully integrated into promotion programs to achieve these beneficial health and social goals among older adults.