The past, the present, the future, and occupational self-efficacy: An attributions and cultural differences perspective between postgraduate students in the United States and Mexico

This study´s objective was to examine empirical relationships between three dimensions of time perspective (future, present fatalistic, and past negative) and occupational self-efficacy. By surveying Mexican (n = 286) and U.S. (n = 272) respondents, we also tested the moderating role of culture. Regression analyses revealed that time perspective dimensions have significant associations with occupational self-efficacy, being future time perspective more potent than its past negative and present fatalistic counterparts. Moderation analyses indicated that none of the examined time perspective-self-efficacy relationships varied significantly between the U.S. and Mexico. Overall, this study suggests that relationships between time perspective and occupational self-efficacy vary according to different temporal dimensions, that future TP is key to develop occupational self-efficacy, and that cultural values may not exert a significant influence on the time perspective-occupational self-efficacy connection.