Future time perspectives in alcoholics and social drinkers.

The differences in future time perspective between alcoholics and social drinkers were investigated. 33 alcoholics and 33 social drinkers matched for age, sex, occupation, and marital status were compared using Wallace's method of measuring future time perspective. It was found that the alcoholics had substantially less extensive and less coherent perspectives. A correlation between age and extension for the alcoholics indicates that the deficiency may develop as a response to problem drinking rather than being a selective factor in its development. One of the most puzzling aspects of the alcoholic's behavior has always been the persistence of frequently punished responses. Although the alcoholic can derive immediate anxiety reduction from drinking alcoholic beverages, his drinking is frequently punished by the occurrence of blackouts, hangovers, ill