Abstract
The proverbial watched-pot phenomenon was literally produced by exposing two groups of subjects to a pot of water on a hot plate. The experimental subjects were requested to signal when the water began to boil; the control group was given no such instructions. All subjects were then asked to estimate the length of a 240-sec interval; the experimental group gave significantly longer time estimates than did the control group. The results are interpreted as supporting an expectancy interpretation of the watched-pot effect.
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References
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Cahoon, D., Edmonds, E.M. The watched pot still won’t boil: Expectancy as a variable in estimating the passage of time. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 16, 115–116 (1980). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03334455
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03334455