When did it happen? Verbal information about causal relations affects time estimation.

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Perception Science

Background:

• The perception of causality is often linked to temporal proximity.
• Previous research indicates a bidirectional relationship between perceived causality and time.
• Existing studies often involve motor actions or physical feedback.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate causal binding using only verbal stimuli.
• To determine if verbal information about causality influences temporal judgments.
• To test causality- and heuristic-based explanations of temporal binding.

Main Methods:

• Six experiments were conducted.
• Participants read lists of events and verbally provided causal information.
• Participants estimated the time interval between two events.

Main Results:

• Participants informed of a causal link between events judged them as closer in time.
• This temporal binding effect occurred without motor actions or physical feedback.
• Results support causality- and heuristic-based explanations.

Conclusions:

• Verbal information about causality is sufficient to induce temporal binding.
• The findings challenge explanations relying on sensory integration or intentionality.
• This research deepens the understanding of how causality influences time perception.