Destiny or control of one’s future? Fatalistic time perspective and self-esteem in extraverts and introverts

A sense of control over time and over what is happening in life is highly significant for psychological functioning. The aim of this experiment was to test the effect of fatalistic time perspective on self-esteem in extraverts and introverts. We conducted an experiment in which fatalistic time perspective was induced in participants (N = 104) high and low in extraversion. The experimental group’s task was to put themselves into the situation of the presented character, who exhibited a strongly fatalistic time perspective. The results showed that introverts after the induction of fatalistic time perspective had higher self-esteem than introverts after neutral induction. There was no significant difference in self-esteem between extraverts after the induction of fatalistic time perspective and extraverts after neutral induction. We interpreted the results in the context of the interactive model of fatalism.