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Development of time concepts: differentiating clock and calendar from apparent durations
1Department of Psychology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti 48197.
The Journal of Genetic Psychology
|September 1, 1987
Summary
Children develop abstract time concepts early, differentiating real from apparent durations. Longer and vague durations are understood later, with stress not impacting this development in childhood.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Perception
Background:
- Understanding time perception is crucial for cognitive development.
- Previous research suggests factors like perception and stress influence time concepts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how perception and stress affect the understanding of time durations.
- To examine the development of real-time and apparent time concepts across different age groups.
Main Methods:
- Rated real-time and apparent durations of events (30s to 4 years) in 1,788 participants (children to adults).
- Events varied in pleasantness, perceptibility, and personal relevance.
- Participants included pupils, college students, professors, and stress-impaired adults.
Main Results:
- Second graders could differentiate apparent from real-time durations, indicating abstract time concepts.
- Longer durations were understood later than shorter ones.
- Clearly perceptible durations were grasped earlier than perceptually vague ones of similar length.
Conclusions:
- Abstract time concepts develop early in childhood.
- Time perception acquisition follows a developmental trajectory based on duration and perceptibility.
- Stress and personal involvement did not significantly alter time concept development in childhood.