Time perspective, time attitude, and time orientation in alcoholism: a review.

It has been proposed that alcoholics may have a disrupted subjective sense of time. A review of empirical investigations of alcoholics' psychological time functioning is presented, attempting to carefully distinguish between the concepts of time perspective, time attitude, and time orientation. It is recognized that the label "alcoholic" is not a homogeneous diagnosis, and it is used here for individuals in treatment for problems related to alcohol abuse. Important questions raised by the previous investigations are listed along with speculations about the role of cognitive impairment in relation to time functioning of alcoholics. Suggestions are made for potential differential treatment according to the patients' time functioning as it relates to motivation, and for additional research needed in this area.