Consistency of Individual Differences in Time Judgments

Abstract

Thirty normal male adolescents were asked to produce periods of 1, 8, 16, and 64 sec. spontaneously, by counting at a rate of one count per second, by visualizing a sweep second hand on a clock, and by just “feeling” the time. Significant positive correlations were found within methods of producing time, and between methods of producing time, but the correlations within methods were higher, suggesting the method of keeping track of time contributes to the measurement of individual differences. Measures based on very brief intervals, such as 1 sec., did not correlate significantly with productions of longer intervals, suggesting productions of longer intervals of time are based on something other than an accumulation of errors of judgment of very brief units of time. A measure of time perspective did not correlate with time productions, suggesting that these two facets of temporal experience belong to different factors or personality processes.