Subjective Time Estimation in Altered Sensory Environments

Abstract

The influence of prior exposure to an altered sensory environment on subsequent subjective time estimation was the focus of the present study. It was hypothesized that the more varied the sensory environment (i.e., perceptual overload versus perceptual deprivation), the longer the time that is verbally estimated, and the shorter the time estimation obtained by the method of production. This hypothesis was supported for the data gathered by the latter method, but not by the former one, in a 3 x 4 factorial design employing 96 subjects, who were exposed to various combinations of auditory and visual stimulation. The conclusion drawn is that visual and auditory stimulation interact in their production of an altered sensory environment, and that the rate of functioning of the cognitive timer is environment dependent.