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Future Orientation Index

Future Orientation Index is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Future Orientation Index rather than just read about it. In short: The Future Orientation Index was introduced by Tobias Preis, Helen Susannah Moat, H. Eugene Stanley and Steven Bishop using Google Trends to demonstrate that Google users from countries with a higher per capita GDP are more likely to search for information about the future than information about the past.

Key takeaways

  • Future Orientation Index belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Future Orientation Index to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Future Orientation Index from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Future Orientation Index was introduced by Tobias Preis, Helen Susannah Moat, H. Eugene Stanley and Steven Bishop using Google Trends to demonstrate that Google users from countries with a higher per capita GDP are more likely to search for information about the future than information about the past. The findings suggest there may be a link between online behaviour and real-world economic indicators. The authors of the study examined Google query logs made by Google users in 45 different countries in 2010 and calculated the ratio of the volume of searches for the coming year (‘2011’) to the volume of searches for the previous year (‘2009’).

Footnotes

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Future Orientation Index

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Future Orientation Index claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Future Orientation Index before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Future Orientation Index ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Future Orientation Index

In research
Future Orientation Index appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Future Orientation Index in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Future Orientation Index is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Behavioural sciences, Computational science, Internet search engines, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Future Orientation Index outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Future Orientation Index in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Future Orientation Index means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Future Orientation Index out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Future Orientation Index in simple terms?

The Future Orientation Index was introduced by Tobias Preis, Helen Susannah Moat, H. Eugene Stanley and Steven Bishop using Google Trends to demonstrate that Google users from countries with a higher per capita GDP are more likely to search for information about the future than information about th…

Why does Future Orientation Index matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Future Orientation Index?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Future Orientation Index.

Tags

  • Behavioural sciences
  • Computational science
  • Internet search engines

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