Cross-Cultural Validity of the Consideration of Future Consequences Scale (CFCS-14): A Study on Turkish University Students

Abstract

The subjective perception of time, known as time orientation, plays a role in shaping a wide range of health-related behaviors. A popular measure of time orientation is the Consideration of Future Consequences Scale (CFCS-14), which has two dimensions: immediate and future. Although widely used in individualistic societies, the usage of this scale, particularly in collectivist cultures, is limited, creating a gap in understanding the cross-cultural implications of temporal orientation on health behaviors. We translated the CFCS-14 into Turkish and examined its psychometric properties and practical utility within the context of health behaviors. A total of 589 undergraduates completed a survey, consisting of the Turkish version of CFCS-14 and measures of time perspective, sensation-seeking, autonomous-related self, subjective well-being, positive and negative affect, problematic alcohol use, and smoking. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses provided evidence for the existence of two correlated factors. CFC factor scores showed robust links with problematic alcohol use, daily cigarette consumption, sensation-seeking, and autonomous-relatedness. However, correlations with subjective well-being and affect were weaker and statistically non-significant. These findings underscore the cross-cultural applicability of CFCS-14's structure, validity, and reliability. This research contributes to the broader understanding of time orientation theories and their practical implications in diverse cultural settings.