Abstract
Two experiments tested an interval segmentation explanation of duration judgment. In Experiment 1, a 170-sec time interval was filled with 27 unrelated words and three high-priority events (HPEs). These HPEs were clustered at the beginning of the interval (unsegmented condition) or distributed throughout the interval (segmented condition). Both recognition and recall of list information were measured, in addition to duration estimates. While no differences in memory performance were found, duration estimates were greater in the the segmented condition. Experiment 2 also tested the effects of interval segmentation but used 36 words and eight HPEs, a longer clock duration, and also measured the remembered number of events (RNE) in the interval. As in Experiment 1, the segmented condition produced longer duration estimates in the absence of memory performance and RNE differences. A segmentation hypothesis seems a better explanation of these results than previously proposed storage size or amount-of-processing models of duration judgment.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Avant, L. L., &Lyman, P. J. Stimulus familiarity modifies perceived duration in prerecognition visual processing.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 1975,1, 205–213.
Battig, W. F., &Montague, W. E. Category norms for verbal items in 56 categories: A replication and extension of the Connecticut category norms.Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1969,80(Whole No.2), 1–46.
Block, R. A. Memory and the experience of duration in retrospect.Memorycl Cognition, 1974,2, 153–160.
Block, R. A., &Reed, M. A. Remembered duration: Evidence for a contextual-change hypothesis.Journtll of Experimental Psychology: Human Learning and Memory, 1978,4, 656–665.
Burnside, W. Judgment of short time intervals while performing mathematical tasks.Perception II Psychophysics, 1971,9, 404–406.
Fraisse, P.The psychology of time. New York: Harper &: Row, 1963.
Ornstein, R. E.On the experience of time. Middlesex, England: Penguin Books, 1969.
Schultz, L. S. Effects of high priority events on recall and recognition of the events.Journal of Verbol Learning and Verbol Behavior, 1971,10, 321–330.
Underwood, G. Attention and the perception of duration during encoding and retrieval.Perception, 1975,4, 291–296.
Vroon, P. A. Effects of presented and processed information on duration experience.Acta Psychologica, 1970,34, 115–121.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Poynter, W.D. Duration judgment and the segmentation of experience. Memory & Cognition 11, 77–82 (1983). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03197664
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03197664