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Table 2 Characteristics associated with temporal individual differences [12, 15, 16, 20]

From: TIDES: examining the influence of temporal individual differences on multitasking in educational simulation

Time urgency

Multitasking

Polychronicity

-Time awareness

-List making

-Deadline control

-Scheduling

-Simple tasks that require fast switching

-Length of time is context-specific, but generally regarded as sixty minutes or fewer

-Prefer completing several activities at the same time

-Relationship-oriented

-Tolerate interruptions

-Less regard for time constraints

-Elaborate information networks

Time perspective

Past

Present

Future

Recall past situations with memories of associated costs and benefits. A focus on the past affects interpretation of current decisions; top-down decision making

Focus on an individual situation, its intensity, and social aspects in order to decide on a course of action; bottom-up decision making

Anticipate and develop expectations about the future and makes decisions about present actions based on the potential cost and reward; top-down decision making

Balanced time perspective

An idealized mental framework allowing individuals to switch between time perspective frames depending on situational demands, resources available, personal, and social appraisals; a compromise among the representations of past experiences, present desires, and future consequences; related to emotional intelligence