title: Fear and time: Fear speeds up the internal clock.
abstract: We tested time perception in a bisection task featuring a wide range of durations (from 0.2 to about 8.0s) and highly arousing stimuli (delivery of an electric shock). In addition, self-report questionnaire responses and skin conductance responses were assessed to measure emotional reactivity. Results clearly demonstrated emotion-related time distortion, as stimulus durations were judged to be longer in the trials with an electric shock than in those without one. In addition, this lengthening effect increased with the length of durations. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis of an arousal-induced speeding up of the internal clock system.
authors.affiliation: Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS (LAPSCO UMR 6024), France.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fayolle
authors.affiliation: Université de Poitiers, CNRS (CeRCA UMR 7295), France.
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.affiliation: Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS (LAPSCO UMR 6024), France. Electronic address: sylvie.droit-volet@univ-bpclermont.fr.
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Droit-Volet
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal; D004644:Emotions; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D013998:Time Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Emotion; Fear; Internal clock; Time perception; Timing