Gender Similarities and Differences in Time Perspective in the Age of COVID-19

Undoubtedly, COVID-19 represents the biggest global emergency of the twenty-first century. Far from being only an infectious disease, COVID-19 caused social and economic disruption, with an exacerbation of gender inequality across different spheres, including in family duties and responsibilities as well as in occupations and income levels. In this scenario, the study aimed at drawing a picture of gender-related differences about thoughts and feelings relating to time, namely time perspective, during the COVID-19 lockdown. Time perspective – a cognitive style revealing the individual’s tendency to mainly focus on the past, the present or the future – influences motivational levels that, in turn, triggers behavior. In this sense, time perspective is a noteworthy factor in elucidating how people cope with adverse events. The Adolescent and Adult Time Inventory was administered to 852 emerging adults (Mage = 24.77; 50% female) through an online survey. Results showed that women had more negative views about time, spent more time thinking about temporal dimensions, and tended to use more negative emotional terms to define the present and the future compared to men. Albeit data were collected during COVID-19, the lack of studies comparing time perspective before and after the pandemic does not allow us to ascertain the pandemic’s impact on gender differences. Hence, a further understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on thoughts and feelings about time by women and men needs to be addressed to successfully cope with future stressful events.