Futures Consciousness questionnaire
Type of research: quantitative empirical
Description:
Futures consciousness refers to the ability to anticipate a complex and unpredictable future while aligning present choices and actions to achieve an ideal future. This capacity not only enhances personal well-being and agency but also fosters engagement in pro-environmental and civic behaviors (Ahvenharju et al., 2021). However, the mechanisms by which individuals develop futures consciousness, and how educational programs can effectively support this development, require further investigation.
Current educational programs often focus on societal issues like sustainability and social justice, aiming to cultivate future awareness at a macro level. However, studies reveal a gap between students' visions of the broader societal or global future and their personal futures (Angheloiu, Sheldrick, & Tennant, 2020; Franceschelli & Keating, 2024). This discrepancy underscores the need for deeper understanding of how individuals connect their personal aspirations with collective goals.
In this thesis, you will contribute to the development of the Dutch Futures Consciousness Scale as developed by Ahvenharju et al. (2021). The aspect we want to explore is the relationship between futures consciousness and the way people are connected to themselves, others, and the world. For example, Watts et al. (2022) recently developed a questionnaire to measure the prevalence of these connections, which could be integrated into your research. Another interesting model to explore the relationship with the Futures Consciousness Scale is the Construal-Level Theory of Psychological Distance (Trope et al., 2010).
Who are we looking for?
Students who are:
- interested in the topic of Futures Consciousness
- motivated to conduct a quantitative study and collect their own data