science

Time affluence

Time affluence is a 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 Time affluence rather than just read about it. In short: Time affluence is defined as the sense that one has ample time available on a daily basis. History Tim Kasser is credited with coining the term.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Time affluence is defined as the sense that one has ample time available on a daily basis.

History Tim Kasser is credited with coining the term. In 2009, Kasser published a co-authored paper with Kennon Sheldon in which they used the term "time affluence" and shared the results from four related empirical studies. All four studies indicated time affluence had positive impacts on well-being. Prior to Kasser and Sheldon's studies, generations of scholars and authors have studied and written about time in general. Many of these studies can be found under the category time-use research, an interdisciplinary field of study.

Time affluence and well-being Much of the research about time affluence has indicated a positive relationship between having ample time on a daily basis and improved well-being. For example, Kasser and Sheldon's 2009 paper reported that individuals with more time affluence were more likely to enjoy the present moment, experience feelings of autonomy and competence, engage in more intimate relationships, and pursue activities related to personal development, connections with others, and physical fitness. More recently, Schaupp and Geiger published findings from a quasi-experimental longitudinal study with 96 participants, reporting that mindfulness can increase perceived time affluence and, subsequently, subjective well-being.

Related concepts Time confetti, time famine, and time poverty are all related concepts. Although the latter two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, they describe different phenomena.

Time confetti Time confetti is a term coined by Brigid Schulte in her book Overwhelmed: Work, Love & Play when No One has the Time. Schulte uses this term as an analogy to describe how people today constantly switch between perceived obligations, managing time ineffectively due to both stress and never-ending to-do lists: a practice that results in the inability to perform any given task well. In other words, we are left with small, fragmented amounts of time due to unproductive multitasking. Schulte and others cite increasing use of digital technologies as the primary contributing factor.

Time famine Time famine is a related concept first introduced by Leslie Perlow in 1999. Time famine is defined as the sense that one has when there is too much to do and not enough time available to do it. In Perlow's ethnographic research about a software engineering team, she found they often struggled to complete individual work due to constant interruptions. Perlow noted that, coupled with the pressure to meet deadlines and a culture that rewarded individuals who resolved crises, the engineers were caught in a vicious cycle when it came to how they felt about the tasks they needed to do and the time available.

Time poverty

Time poverty is another related concept. It's defined as one not having enough time due to shouldering extra work, burdens, and/or obligations outside of paid work, such as being the primary caregiver for a child. Time poverty is also often used to describe situations in which people have to work long hours for pay and have no choice but to do otherwise. Studies report that, overall, time poverty disproportionately impacts women and is linked with lower well-being, physical health, and productivity.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Time affluence

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Time affluence claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In 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 Time affluence 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 Time affluence 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 Time affluence

In research: Time affluence appears in 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 Time affluence 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: Time affluence is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Personal life, Quality of life, Well-being, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Time affluence 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 Time affluence in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Time affluence in simple terms?

Time affluence is defined as the sense that one has ample time available on a daily basis. History Tim Kasser is credited with coining the term.

Why does Time affluence matter?

Because it connects several 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 Time affluence?

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 Time affluence.