Planning horizon of Ukrainians and its relation to subjective well-being

Previous research on the link between time perspective and well-being has repeatedly confirmed a positive association between the two. In this article, the planning horizon is explored as a dimension of future time perspective in relation to subjective well-being under wartime conditions and in the corresponding context of uncertainty about the future. An analysis of the Ukrainian Society survey data from 2024 showed that planning horizon, measured as the future time span over which the respondents plan, is positively associated with life satisfaction. However, this association is conditioned by the impact of other variables and does not hold after controlling for them. Hierarchical regression analysis of planning horizon allowed to reject the intuitive assumption that under the extreme conditions of war, the balance between the otherwise persistent subjective attitudes and the impact of current circumstances is shifted in favour of the latter. Subjective attitudes, such as optimism, locus of control, and expectations with respect to the future of the war, have a stronger impact on the planning horizon than negative experiences of war. Negative experiences of war are not a major factor contributing to shortening of the planning horizon, while some aspects of these experiences, such as a history of forced migration, are associated with longer planning horizon. Medium-term planning (spanning from two months to two years) and long-term planning (spanning more than two years) differ in their predictors and therefore may represent substantially different attitudes towards future activities. According to a theoretical assumption, because planning horizon reflects perceived uncertainty, it should mediate effects of negative war experiences on subjective well-being. But according to the results of the conducted mediation analysis, planning horizon does not mediate their impact or the impact of subjective attitudes on life satisfaction. Nor is it a significant independent predictor of life satisfaction.