Assessment of time perception: the effect of aging

Studies concerning time perception lack a validated assessment tool and a consensual "gold-standard" measure. Moreover, the present evidence suggests modification of timing with aging. This study aimed to develop and validate a neuropsychological tool to measure time perception and to study temporal perception with aging. Eighty-six healthy participants, aged 15-90 years old, were asked to verbally estimate and produce empty intervals signaled by auditory beeps, of 7-, 32-, and 58-s duration. Two tests were used as "gold-standards": estimation of the duration of time necessary to draw a clock ("clock time") and estimation of the duration of neuropsychological evaluation ("global time"). Results showed a correlation between estimation and production (p < .01) and a correlation between estimation or production and "global time" (p < .01). The correlation between either estimation or production and age (p < .01), suggested a faster "internal-clock" in the older participants. However, this finding lost significance when controlled for literacy. The results suggest that these tests are potentially a useful tool to measure subjective perception of time. They also corroborate the hypothesis of a change in subjective time perception with aging. It was not possible to conclude if this effect was a specific result of aging or biased by the interference of literacy.