Functions of episodic future thinking: A validation and comparative study across individuals with normal versus pathological worry

Abstract

Future thinking is the ability to mentally simulate future scenarios, events, or circumstances that one might be personally involved in. The present study sought to evaluate the Persian version of the Functions of Future Thinking Scale (FoFTS) in a large sample of the Iranian general population and to compare individuals with normal versus pathological worry. The Persian FoFTS had an acceptable 10-factor structure and the reliability index of all factors was within an acceptable range. The validity was explored in terms of temporal distance of future thinking, past (positive and negative) thinking, self-efficacy, affect (positive and negative), and mindset (pessimism and optimism). Individuals with pathological worry scored significantly higher on seven functions of future thinking (boredom reduction, death preparation, negative regulation, social bonding, planning, problem-solving, and decision-making) compared to individuals with normal worry, and they did not differ on three functions of future thinking (identity contrast, goal setting, and positive regulation).