Background: This study assesses the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (C-ZTPI-20) in an adolescent population.
Methods: The investigation encompasses a sample of 2634 middle school students from China and aims to evaluate the instrument’s reliability, structural validity, measurement invariance, criterion validity, and network structure attributes.
Results: First, descriptive analysis revealed satisfactory reliabilities for four out of five C-ZTPI-20 dimensions, with Present Fatalistic (PF) exhibiting relatively low reliability. Moreover, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) supported the 5-dimensional structure across all samples and sexes, albeit with a modest Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) for girls. Furthermore, measurement invariance analysis underscores unbiased assessment across sexes. Sex differences emerge in the Present Hedonistic (PH) dimension, where boys showed higher scores. Furthermore, criteria validity analysis revealed that Past Positive (PP) and Future (F) were positively associated with extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness, grit, and mental health, while they were negatively associated with neuroticism. Past Negative (PN) and PF showed inverse trends, while PH perspective demonstrated complex, varied correlations with these psychological traits, underscoring the multifaceted nature of time perspectives. Finally, network analysis revealed positive inter-correlations within dimensions and significant edge differences between sexes, particularly in inter-dimension connections. Despite differing rankings, the most central and marginal items remained consistent between boys and girls in network models.
Conclusion: These findings contribute to understanding the C-ZTPI-20’s effectiveness in assessing adolescent time perspectives and inform interventions promoting psychological well-being and coping strategies.

Keywords: time perspective, Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, psychometric properties, measurement invariance, network analysis