Transient attention does not alter the eccentricity effect in estimation of duration

Previous research investigating the influence of stimulus eccentricity on perceived duration showed an increasing duration underestimation with increasing eccentricity. Based on studies showing that precueing the stimulus location prolongs perceived duration, one might assume that this eccentricity effect is influenced by spatial attention. In the present study, we assessed the influence of transient covert attention on the eccentricity effect in duration estimation in two experiments, one online and one in a laboratory setting. In a duration estimation task, participants judged whether a comparison stimulus presented near or far from fixation with a varying duration was shorter or longer than a standard stimulus presented foveally with a constant duration. To manipulate transient covert attention, either a transient luminance cue was used (valid cue) to direct attention to the position of the subsequent peripheral comparison stimulus or all positions were marked by luminance (neutral cue). Results of both experiments yielded a greater underestimation of duration for the far than for the near stimulus, replicating the eccentricity effect. Although cueing was effective (i.e., shorter response latencies for validly cued stimuli), cueing did not alter the eccentricity effect on estimation of duration. This indicates that cueing leads to covert attentional shifts but does not account for the eccentricity effect in perceived duration.