What Day is Today? Time Orientation in Healthy People

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Time orientation is one of the cognitive functions that were first to be clinically assessed. Because time orientation is affected by severe psychiatric disturbance, brain pathologies, medication or toxicity, correct assessment is important in the clinical sense. However, it has been stated that, even healty people's time orientation may be affected by demographic variables, such as the level of education. OBJECTIVES: This study has aimed at determining the effects of demoghraphic variables (such as age, education and gender) on time orientation. METHODS: 526 healthy people between the ages of 24100 (x=50.74, std=17.46) participated in the study. Participants were assessed by SMMSE time orientation subtest. RESULTS: According to Chi-Square analysis, there are no differences between the gender groups (F: 217/M: 309) and the age groups (24-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-100), but the level of education (literate-5 years; 6-11 years; 12 years and above) has been found to be a significant variable. The lower the education level, the more time orientation is affected. CONCLUSION: The results that were obtained from that study may be helpful especially for the clinicians who work with low education groups

Keywords

• time orientation
• neuropsychological assessment
• cognition