Do time perspectives predict unique variance in life satisfaction beyond personality traits?

In this study we compared the relationships between time perspectives, the Big Five personality traits, and life satisfaction. Our results replicated past work in that personality traits and time perspectives were both associated with life satisfaction. Individuals high on extraversion and those having a past positive and a present hedonism time perspective were more satisfied with their lives; individuals high on neuroticism and those having a past negative time perspective were less satisfied with their lives. Further, hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that time perspectives accounted for an additional 13.7% of the variance in life satisfaction beyond personality traits; whereas, personality traits accounted for an additional 4.4% of the variance in life satisfaction beyond time perspectives. Mediation models demonstrated that time perspectives partially accounted for the personality and life satisfaction relationship. We discuss the possibility that most of the association between personality traits and life satisfaction may be due to individual differences in cognitive time frames.