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Subjective time: cognitive and physical secondary tasks affect timing differently.
Mikaël Molet1, Jérôme Alessandri, Thomas R Zentall
1Department of Psychology, University of Lille, Lille, France.
Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology (2006)
|March 19, 2011
Summary
Cognitive load impacts time perception. Increased cognitive tasks slow time perception, while physical effort speeds it up, supporting attention-based time theories.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Psychophysics
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Temporal discrimination tasks assess the subjective passage of time.
- Cognitive load and physical effort are known to influence cognitive functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how secondary cognitive and physical tasks affect temporal discrimination.
- To examine the role of attention in the subjective experience of time.
Main Methods:
- Participants performed a temporal bisection task after training.
- Experiment 1 involved a cognitive task (counting backwards).
- Experiment 2 involved a physical task (force exertion).
Main Results:
- Increased cognitive load shifted the bisection point right (slowing perceived time).
- Decreased cognitive load shifted the bisection point left (speeding perceived time).
- Increased physical effort shifted the bisection point left (speeding perceived time), while decreased effort shifted it right (slowing perceived time).
Conclusions:
- Findings support an attentional model of time perception.
- Cognitive tasks may decrease attention to time, leading to underestimation.
- Physical tasks may increase attention to time, leading to overestimation.
