Time perception

About: Time perception is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1918 publications have been published within this topic receiving 87020 citations.

Quantification of reaction time and time perception during Space Shuttle operations.

Abstract: A microprocessor-based test battery containing simple reaction time, choice reaction time, and time perception tasks was flown aboard a 1985 Space Shuttle flight. Data were obtained from four crewmembers. Individual subject means indicate a correlation between change in reaction time during the flight and the presence of space motion sickness symptoms. The time perception task results indicate that the shortest duration task time (2 s) is progressively overestimated as the mission proceeds and is statistically significant (p less than 0.01) when comparing preflight and postflight baselines. The tasks that required longer periods of time to estimate (8, 12, and 16 s) are less affected.

Hemispheric equivalence and age-related differences in judgments of simultaneity to somatosensory stimuli.

Abstract: Hemispheric asymmetries, interhemispheric transfer time (IHTT), and age-related differences in judgments of simultaneity to tactile stimulation were examined. Two mechanical stimulators were employed to: (1) Determine whether both cerebral hemispheres are equally capable of processing fine tactile temporal information; (2) determine whether there is an age-related differential hemispheric decline in judgments of simultaneity, and (3) determine if simultaneity thresholds for tactile stimuli increase with advanced age. Tactile simultaneity thresholds were measured by using a modified parameter estimation by sequential testing algorithm. Participants judged whether pairs of tactile stimulation to index and middle fingers were delivered simultaneously. Results of both bimanual and unimanual conditions supported a model of hemispheric equivalence in that both hemispheres were equally capable of making judgments of simultaneity to fine tactile stimuli. The results further suggested that the hemispheric equivalence for judgments of simultaneity remains stable across adulthood. However, IHTTs of older adults were more than double that of younger adults, indicating a significant decrease in the speed of neural conduction. As well, relative to younger adults, older adults had significantly higher simultaneity thresholds.

The Perception of Time: Basic Research and Some Potential Links to the Study of Language

Abstract: The article first discusses some recent work in time perception-in particular the distinction among prospective timing, retrospective timing, and passage of time judgments. The history and application of an "internal clock" model as an explanation of prospective timing performance is reviewed and contrasted with the different mechanisms needed for the other two types of time judgments. The article then discusses two areas suggesting relations between time perception research and language. The first is the idea that disturbances in the perception of duration, usually of very brief auditory stimuli, are associated with some language disorders. Another is the common use of metaphors for time, and the article relates these to the issue of whether a genuine "time sense" exists.