Contrast influences perceived duration of brief time intervals.
34 participants judged the duration of a 4-sec. interval which was preceded by a contextual interval of 2, 6, 10, or 14 sec. Underestimations of the test interval when the contextual intervals were longer suggested temporal durations are affected by a mechanism of comparing and contrasting analogous to the one producing some visual illusions.
Jaeger
Ted
T
Department of Psychology, 501 Westminster Avenue, Westminster College, Fulton, MO 65251, USA.
Lang
Jennifer
J
D006801:Humans; D007088:Illusions; D007600:Judgment; D008568:Memory; D013998:Time Perception