ELSE – Ecological Longitudinal Study of Episodic Foresight in Everyday Life: Development, Determinants and Consequences during Preschool-Age

• Applicant: Dr. Babett Voigt
• Subject Area: Developmental and Educational Psychology
• Term: since 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 422475230

Children are able to imagine specific events of their personal future (Episodic Foresight) already at preschool age. So far, however, we know little about the phenomenology and content of these episodic future thoughts in preschoolers' everyday life (e.g., detail, anticipated affect). However, according to adult research, phenomenology and content play a critical role for understanding how episodic future thoughts can influence behavior, affect and mental health. The overarching goal of the proposed ELSE project is therefore to investigate the phenomenology and content of episodic future thoughts in everyday life of preschool children. The project will examine how these develop in the critical time window between 4 and 5 years of age, which factors influence them, and what consequences they have for the behavior, affect and mental health of preschool children. For this purpose, parents are asked about their children's expressed episodic future thoughts in everyday life three times a day over a period of seven days when their child is 4 years old and one year later. In Study 1, we examine how the phenomenology and content of everyday episodic future beliefs change longitudinally between ages 4 and 5. In Study 2, we test whether the phenomenology and content of everyday episodic future thinking at age 5 can be longitudinally predicted by children's personality traits (behavioural inhibition, neuroticism, openness to experience) and family context (family organization and flexibility) one year earlier. Study 3 tests whether the phenomenology and content of everyday episodic future thinking at age 4 longitudinally predict the extent of internalizing and externalizing problems, as well as mental well-being at age 5. In Experiment 1, we explore whether a daily neutral visual cue about an upcoming event leads to more frequent and detailed episodic future thinking in 4-year-old children in everyday life, thereby increasing children's future-oriented behaviours referring to the event. In Experiment 2, we explore whether a daily positive visual cue about an upcoming event, leads to more positive episodic future thoughts in 4-year-old children in everyday life, and thus increases positive affect and children's approach behaviour related to the event. In addition, an ongoing project will be completed that has been delayed by pandemic-related restrictions and that delivered important preliminary work for the proposed ELSE project. Overall, the ELSE project will help to improve our understanding of how episodic foresights develops and how it links to children’s mental health. Moreover, the ELSE-project will provide valuable insights into how to influence children’s everyday thoughts about the future in a way that supports their mental health.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants