Toshiaki Shirai

Future Time Perspective (FTP) is defined as a cognitive-motivational construct of an individual’s perception of their personal future. How do people consciously construct their FTP? This study presents case studies using both daily data (over 19 days) and longitudinal data (spanning 33 years), focusing on how goal-directedness (a measure of FTP) and hope interact to shape their trajectories. The results show that hope is high when individuals experience a connection between the present and future, accompanied by the integration of affect, cognition, and behavior. In contrast, perceived uncertainty reduces hope. Importantly, goal-directedness increases when individuals consciously set goals, make plans, and take actions for the future. This study sheds light on the conscious construction of FTP by being among the first to examine within-individual variability by combining both daily and longitudinal data in time perspective research.

This article reviews studies concerning development during childhood and adolescence published between July 2011 and June 2012. First, we examine studies of cognitive development and language development by focusing on the topics of reading/writing, pragmatics in oral communication, critical thinking, and development of operational thinking. Second, by investigating the studies of children's development in social relationships, we highlight the importance of understanding the presupposition and limitation of the quantitative methods that are salient in these studies. Third, we review studies of adolescents' social development that discuss the dynamics of development in socio-cultural contexts, including various daily activities. Finally, we introduce the theoretical inquiries regarding developmental stages that were published in a special issue of the Japanese Journal of Developmental Psychology as a remarkable accomplishment in the developmental psychology in Japan.