Scoping Review of Future Thinking Psychological Mechanisms

This is a scoping review of existing research that focuses on future thinking from a psychological perspective. The main goal of this review is to systematically map and compare psychological constructs that link present action to future selves, future others, future contexts, or future consequences. Rather than evaluating the strength of associations with particular outcomes, this review aims to (a) identify and classify future-oriented constructs, (b) assess their conceptual similarities and differences, and (c) document the types of study designs and methodological approaches used to investigate each construct. By providing a construct-centered synthesis, this review seeks to clarify the conceptual landscape of future-oriented psychology and generate new directions for theory development and research design.