Convergent and Discriminant Validity of Time Attitude Scores on the Adolescent Time Perspective Inventory

In this study, we report on the validity of time attitude scores on the Adolescent Time Perspective Inventory-Time Attitudes (ATPI-TA; Mello/Worrell 2007) Scales. The ATPI-TA has six subscales: Past Positive, Past Negative, Present Positive, Present Negative, Future Positive, and Future Negative. Participants consisted of 300 adolescents from rural, urban, and suburban schools and a range of socioeconomic backgrounds. All time attitude subscales were interrelated, with correlations in the appropriate directions and the largest correlations occurring within the same time period. Convergent validity analyses indicated that time attitude scores had statistically significant correlations (medium to large effect sizes) with measures of hope, perceived life chances, optimism, perceived stress, and self-esteem. Moreover, the pattern of correlations was in keeping with theory (e.g., perceived life chances had stronger correlations with future attitude scales whereas perceived stress had stronger correlations with present attitude scales). Discriminant validity analyses indicated that time attitudes were not meaningfully related to age, GPA, school belonging, and academic self-concept.