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Updated: Jul 6, 2026
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The (Spatial) Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition
Published on: February 19, 2018
Subjective time in near and far representational space
1Neuropsychology Unit, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Summary
Imagining objects closer makes time feel longer, while imagining them farther away makes time feel shorter. This suggests space and time processing are linked, with potential clinical uses for spatial neglect.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive psychology
- Neuroscience
- Spatial cognition
Background:
- Duration estimates shorten with smaller observed scales.
- The effect of scale on imagined duration and lateralized attention is unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure temporal duration estimates in healthy subjects for imagined objects in near vs. far space.
- To investigate if subjective time perception varies with focus on left vs. right of a mental image.
Main Methods:
- 40 healthy subjects imagined a clock at 30 cm or 6 m distance.
- Participants estimated durations (15s, 30s) focusing on imagined second hand movement.
- Separate estimates for left/right clock faces and line bisection tasks were performed.
Main Results:
- Imagined objects in far space yielded shorter duration estimates than those in near space.
- For men, left-right duration judgments correlated with line bisection errors, but not for women.
Conclusions:
- Subjective time perception is influenced by the perceived size of mental images, akin to real-world observation.
- Spatial and temporal processing show conceptual similarities, particularly regarding lateral asymmetries.
- Findings may inform clinical applications for conditions like hemispatial neglect.
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