The Relationship between Future Time Perspective and Climate Anxiety among Generation Z: The Moderating Role of Gender

Abstract

Climate anxiety is an increasingly widespread psychological response among Generation Z, particularly as young people face increasing awareness of the long-term consequences of climate change. Nevertheless, its relationship with future time perspective and the moderating role of gender remain understudied in an integrated manner, particularly in the context of developing countries such as Indonesia. This gap highlights the need to examine how future-oriented cognition and individual characteristics jointly relate to climate anxiety. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between future time perspective (FTP) and climate anxiety (CAS), while simultaneously testing whether gender acts as a moderating variable in this relationship. A correlational quantitative design with a moderation approach was employed, involving 373 Generation Z participants (182 males and 191 females) selected using a purposive sampling technique. Data collection was carried out through the Future Time Perspective Scale (FTPS) and the Climate Anxiety Scale (CAS), which were then processed using Pearson and Spearman correlation tests as well as JASP-assisted moderation regression analysis. The analysis results revealed a significant positive relationship between FTP and climate anxiety (r = 0.384, p < 0.001), indicating that the higher an individual’s future orientation, the greater the climate anxiety they experience. Furthermore, the moderation regression model was statistically significant (F = 66.730, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.352), with both the main effects of FTP (B = 0.801, p < 0.001) and gender (B = 30.204, p = 0.008) being significant. The interaction between FTP and gender also showed significance (B = -0.445, p < 0.001), confirming the role of gender as a moderator in the relationship between FTP and climate anxiety. The positive association between FTP and climate anxiety was stronger among males than females. These findings indicate that future-oriented cognition is positively associated with climate anxiety and that this association differs across gender groups. The findings provide theoretical evidence that integrating cognitive and individual-difference factors may offer a more nuanced understanding of climate anxiety among Generation Z. Practically, the findings may inform the development of gender-sensitive psychological and educational approaches to climate anxiety; however, the cross-sectional correlational design does not establish the effectiveness of gender-specific interventions.