COHERENCE AS A MEASURE OF FUTURE TIME PERSPECTIVE IN CHILDREN AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO DELAY OF GRATIFICATION AND SOCIAL CLASS

The relationship between social class (SC), delay of gratification (DG), and coherence of future time perspective (FTP) was investigated with a revised measure of coherence. Sixty sixth‐grade Israeli children, recruited from middle vs. low social class groups were administered a future events arrangement (FEA) task, and a “candy puppet” (CP) measurement of DG. Results indicated that the two groups differed significantly on both variables and that FEA and CP correlate significantly and positively. However, partial correlation between FEA and CP, which controlled the SC variable, was nonsignificant. No sex effects were found in any of the investigated variables. Results were interpreted as lending support to the revised concept of coherence. Theoretical aspects of future time perspective are discussed, as well as further necessary research.