The roles of non-temporal information processing load and temporal expectations in children's prospective time estimation.
Children in the pre-operational phase were asked to prospectively estimate the duration of a thirty-second interval. Estimated intervals were either filled by a task demanding non-temporal information processing, or were 'empty'. Children were either expecting a prize after the termination of the to-be-estimated interval, or were not expecting such a prize. Prospective time estimates were highest when a prize was expected and the to-be-estimated interval was 'empty', and lowest when a prize was not expected and the to-be-estimated interval was filled by the task. Accuracy was highest when a prize was expected and a non-temporal task required. These findings were accounted for by an attentional model of prospective time estimation. The similarity between children and adults' prospective time estimation processes was discussed.
Zakay
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Tel-Aviv University, Dept. of Psychology, Ramat-Aviv, Israel.
D001288:Attention; D001307:Auditory Perception; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D013998:Time Perception