Futurization of Thinking and Behaviour
This multi-disciplinary project looks into the emerging concept of ‘futurization’. The aim is to propose an empirical definition of this new concept and to disentangle it from the concept of the ‘future’. Currently, it is noted that ‘futurization’ is being used in the context of policy-making, however, without clear definition, it creates ambiguous reactions. What does it actually mean to say ‘futurization of politics’ or ‘futurization of thinking’ or ‘futurization of behavior’? This project explores the image of the future that laypeople have. What concepts and imagery do they associate with the term ‘futurization’? What are their hopes, dreams, fears, and anxieties about it?
The project aims to identify opportunities to foster long-term thinking in individuals. This research explores, for example, the potential benefits of transformations towards sustainability, and of a conscious approach to long-term thinking and behaving. The project links research perspectives on future challenges and sustainable actions to the daily life of an individual.
Follow the project’s progress on Researchgate.
Project updates:
2025:
Invited talk: Sircova A., et al.: “Imagining the Future: Personal and Global Perspectives”
March 25, 2025, National Brain Research Center, Manesar, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
Invited key-note presentation: Sircova A., et al. : Exploring Psychological Time and Engaging with the Future: Do We Create Conditions for Meaningful Actions to Emerge?
March 4, 2025, Annual Fest InPsych’25, Department of Psychology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India
Invited talk: Sircova A., et al. : Exploring Psychological Time and Engaging with the Future: Do We Create Conditions for Meaningful Actions to Emerge?
25 February, 2025, Jamia Milia Islamia University, Department of Psychology, New Delhi, India
February 25, 2025
Invited workshop: Sircova A: “Images of the Personal and Global Future: How do we feel about it?”
February 20, 2025, Sciences Po Lyon, Lyon, France
Invited workshop: Sircova A: “Images of the Personal and Global Future: How do we feel about it?”
February 7, 2025, Sustainable Development in Northern Europe, DIS: Study Abroad in Scandinavia, Copenhagen, Denmark
Invited workshop: Sircova A: “Images of the Personal and Global Future: How do we feel about it?”
January 30, 2025, Sciences Po Lyon, Lyon, France
2024:
Invited workshop: Sircova A: “Images of the Personal and Global Future: How do we feel about it?”
September 2024, Sustainable Development in Northern Europe, DIS: Study Abroad in Scandinavia, Copenhagen, Denmark
Space of Futurization: Interactive Installation
12-14 July, 2024, Terres du Son festival, Tours, France
Invited workshop: Sircova A., “Decolonizing the Future and Creating Alternative Futures”
April 4, 2024, DIS: Study Abroad in Scandinavia, Copenhagen, Denmark
Invited key-note presentation and workshop: Sircova A. : Futurization: Scenarios for Sustainable Tourism and Travel
February 9, 2024, CMTHS, HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar, Uttarakhand, Srinagar Garhwal, India
2023:
Special debrief session: Sircova A.: “Finding personal position when facing existential threats”
Nov 2, 2023, DIS: Study Abroad in Scandinavia, Copenhagen, Denmark
Invited workshop: Sircova A.: Simulation game and discussion on tragedy of the commons: “Reenacting the energy blackout situation in Huizinge”
Oct 18, 2023, DIS: Study Abroad in Scandinavia, Copenhagen, Denmark
Invited workshops: Sircova A.: “Global Future – What’s My Personal Response?”
September 12 & September 15, 2023, DIS: Study Abroad in Scandinavia, Copenhagen, Denmark
Invited workshop: Sircova A.: “What kind of future do we want?”
June 8, 2023, DIS: Study Abroad in Scandinavia, Copenhagen, Denmark
Congress presentation: Sircova A., Ilic Z. Finding a personal response to global challenges
3-8 May, 2023, 3rd World Congress of Existential Therapy, Athens, Greece
Workshop: Sircova A., Ilic Z.: Global Future – What’s My Personal Response?
April 24, 2023, Creative Time Studio, Copenhagen, Denmark
Invited workshop: Sircova A.: Images of the Future of Sustainable Travel and Tourism
March 23, 2023, Multidisciplinary seminar series: Tourism and Psychology, Bogazici University, Applied Tourism Administration and Research Center, Istanbul, Turkey
Invited workshop: Sircova A. : Sustainable Development
March 10, 2023, RV University, Center for Human Insights, Bangalore, India
Invited workshop: Sircova A: How do we benefit from reflecting on time perspectives?
Feb 15, 2023, Environmental Philosophy, DIS: Study Abroad in Scandinavia, Copenhagen, Denmark
2022:
Invited Q&As session with students studying sustainable development, climate science and ecology: “How to manage climate / environmental depression?”
December 2022, DIS: Study Abroad in Scandinavia, Copenhagen, Denmark
Invited workshop: Sircova A: “Images of the Personal and Global Future: How do we feel about it?”
October 2022, Sustainable Development in Northern Europe, DIS: Study Abroad in Scandinavia, Copenhagen, Denmark
2021:
Talk: Sircova A: Futurization: Creating the Space for the Future
6th Berlin Soup Festival of Arts, August 2021, Copenhagen, Denmark
Symposium at the 5th International Conference on Time Perspectives, July 13, 2021, Vilnius, Lithuania
Imagining Futures: “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”
In this symposium we are looking into the emerging concept of ‘futurization’ (of thinking, behavior, politics, etc.). We are exploring the differences between the images of the personal future and the global future across various populations: we compare people’s images and what forms them across various age groups and various cultural backgrounds (USA, Denmark and China). Symposium presents various methodology that was developed during this project: the Semantic Differential of Personal and Global Future scale (Sircova et al, in preparation), word association exercise, future scenarios with various time spans, and in-depth interview guide.
The symposium discusses empirical representations of future imaginaries and social practices related to futurization of thinking and behavior of an individual. It aims to provide insight into: What are the mechanisms used to see the possible futures? How to bring desired futures closer and turn them into reality? How to incorporate future thinking in our behaviors? How to expand our temporal horizon and develop new cognitive abilities? How to learn to deal with the massive amount of uncertainty and anxiety that this perspective brings? Does such time awareness lead to more sustainable behaviors, decisions, and/or policy-making?
- T. Meyers : The Futures Effect – The benefits of futures thinking for your health and wellbeing.
- J. Pope, M. Cho, A. Sircova : “We can control the climate”: Different conceptualizations of the future in the US and China
- S.G. Klimanova & A.V. Trusova: Perception of the future: the study among students in Russia
- Sircova A.: Measuring the Future: Mission Impossible, Unbelievable or Essential?
2020:
Talk at TEDxVilvoorde event What the Future?
Sircova A., Futurization: Creating the Space for the Future, October 2020
Focus group: Images of the Future: Personal and Global
DIS: Study Abroad in Scandinavia, Copenhagen, Denmark, February 2020
Invited Talk: Sircova A., Sustainable Behavior through Time Research and Design
19 February, 2020, CHPUX, Copenhagen, Denmark
Invited talk at the Saint Petersburg’s Psychological Society: Sircova A., Futurization of Thinking and Behavior
6 February, 2020, Department of Psychology, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Invited talk and workshop: Sircova A., Images of the Future
31st January — 5th February 2020, Winter Psychological School by Saint Petersburg State University, Russia
January through August 2020
Running the lab: Futurization of Thinking and Behaviour with research assistants: Sivan Komatsu, Matt Cho, Juliette Pope, Aimee Carrillo, Duc Pham, Marc Benjamin, Reina Deol, Ben Weber
Hosted by Time Perspective Network, Copenhagen, Denmark & partly sponsored by DIS: Study Abroad in Scandinavia, Copenhagen, Denmark
2019:
Space of Futurization: Interactive Installation
DIS: Study Abroad in Scandinavia Showcase, Copenhagen, Denmark
December 11, 2019
12 November, 2019, Nerd Night: Futurization Special:
- Anna Sircova: Images of the Future – workshop
- Rasmus Holm: Future of trash
- Eve Pardi: Deep learning and singularity
- Eylül Dicle Yurdakul: Femininity in tech
Invited workshop:
Sircova A., Images of the Future – 29-31 October, 2019 Southwest University, Chongqing, China
October 2019
Focus group: Images of the Future
Designed by: Anna Sircova, Sam Anderson, Jacob Liedke, Blake Katz, Emily Han, Sam Armstrong, Pinja Päivinen
DIS: Study Abroad in Scandinavia, Copenhagen, Denmark
August through December 2019
Running the lab: Futurization of Thinking and Behaviour with research assistants: Sam Anderson, Jacob Liedke, Blake Katz, Emily Han, Sam Armstrong, Pinja Päivinen
Designing the workshops, Semantic Differential Scale, scenarios approach, prototype of the installation.
Hosted by Time Perspective Network, Copenhagen, Denmark and partly sponsored by DIS: Study Abroad in Scandinavia, Copenhagen, Denmark
Congress presentation:
Sircova, A., Päivinen, P., Scharf, A., & Kennedy, M. : “Futurization of thinking and behavior: developing the empirical definition of the concept” at the XVI European Congress of Psychology, July 2-5 2019, Moscow, Russia
Symposium at the XVI European Congress of Psychology, July 2-5 2019, Moscow, Russia
Exploring various aspects of futurization
In this cross-disciplinary symposium we are looking into the emerging concept of ‘futurization’ (of thinking, behavior, politics, etc.) and the image of the future from the perspectives of psychology, behavioral economics and sociology. We explore multiple facets of ‘futurization’ in relation to personal identity level, but also on societal level and linking it to diversity, migration, sustainability and human nature and development in general. Decisions made today can have far-reaching consequences for individuals, societies, and ecosystems in the future. Yet far too often, present feelings are so powerful that considerations of future events are neglected: individual interests in the present become fulfilled at the expense of the common interest for the future and the generations to come. We discuss novel solutions that psychology, behavioral economics and sociology have to offer to this classical temporal dilemma – a temporal conflict between short-term and long-term interests.
Anna Sircova, PhD, Head of the Board, Time Perspective Network; External Lecturer, DIS: Study Abroad in Scandinavia, Copenhagen, Denmark
Chris Crespo, Behavioural Economist, Chief Digital Strategist, Nordea, Copenhagen, Denmark
Elisabeth Schilling, Prof. Dr., Göttingen Diversity Research Institute, Göttingen, Germany,
Alejandro Vásquez-Echeverría, PhD, Associate Professor, University of the Republic, Uruguay
Strizhitskaya Olga, PhD, Associate Professor, Saint Petersburg State University, Russia
Book chapter:
Sircova, A., Scharf, A. E., Kennedy, M., & Päivinen, P. R. (2019). Futurization of Thinking and Behavior: Exploring People’s Imaginaries About the Future and Futurization. In Managing Screen Time in an Online Society (pp. 219-245). IGI Global.
2018:
Invitation to write a chapter for the book: Managing Screen Time in an Online Society
Research project funding from DIS: Study Abroad in Scandinavia consisting of research stipend and Research Assistant stipend through 2019: “Futurization of Thinking and Behavior”, September 2018, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Invited member of the panel: Connected Systems: Autonomous Wild West? Future of Work; September 6, 2019, Techfestival, Copenhagen, Denmark
Panelists: Anna Sircova, Jan-Cayo Fiebig, Sine Zambach, Camilla Ley Valentin
Keynote presentation:
Sircova Anna: Futurization of Thinking and Behaviour at the 4th International Conference on Time Perspective, 27 – 31 August, 2018, Nantes, France
Futurize Me: Performance at NOWTOPIA: A Gathering of Ideas, Actions, Performance, and Alliances for Making Change, August 14-20, 2018, Copenhagen, Denmark
Developing the concept and prototype of the Futurization Installation: LJUDMILA, Art and Science Laboratory, PIF camp, Summer Hacking Camp, Soča, Slovenia, 6-13 August, 2018
Futurize Me: Performance at the 5th Berlin Soup Festival, 19-28 July, Berlin, Germany
June – July 2018: Developing the concept and performance: Futurize Me
Call for Research Assistants for Fall 2019.
Focus group: “Futurization of Thinking and Behavior”, April 2018, Copenhagen, Denmark. Summary of results.
2017:
Focus group: “Futurization of thinking and behavior as a fine balancing act”, October 2017, Copenhagen, Denmark. Summary of results.
Time Perspective Network - Denmark 