The neural correlates of temporal judgments in the duration bisection task

• Published in: Neuropsychologia 2013-01, Vol.51 (2), p.191-196
• Main Authors: Lindbergh, Cutter A., Kieffaber, Paul D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Brain - physiology; Brain Mapping; Duration bisection; Electroencephalography; ERP; Evoked Potentials - physiology; Female; Humans; Interval timing; Judgment - physiology; Male; Photic Stimulation; Probability; Psychophysics; Reaction Time - physiology; Temporal memory; Time Factors; Time Perception - physiology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0028-3932; 1873-3514
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2012.09.001

Decision processes related to interval timing are commonly examined using the duration bisection procedure—a well-established timekeeping task in which participants make judgments about whether a series of “probes” are closer in duration to a “short” anchor duration or a “long” anchor duration. The specific information used during bisection categorization has been a subject of debate. Recent research involving the Contingent Negative Variation (CNV) suggests that the “short” anchor duration and a value near the geometric mean (GM) of the short and long anchors are among the critical pieces of information used during bisection categorization judgements. The present study examined a corollary of this claim, that memory comparison and decision-making processes related to the temporal judgments are completed prior to probe offset when probe durations are perceived to be “long;” testing the hypotheses that (1) response times would be significantly longer for “short” relative to “long” categorizations and that (2) there would be significant differences in ERPs time-locked to probe offset between probes judged to be “short” and “long.” Both of these predictions were realized in the results, providing strong support for the assertion that a value near the GM—likely the point of subjective equality (PSE)—is among the critical information used during bisection categorization judgments. ► Results indicated the critical value for bisection categorization is the PSE. ► The bisection categorization was completed prior to “long” probe offset. ► Response times were faster for “long” relative to “short” probe categorizations. ► Amplitudes of offset-locked ERPs were larger for “short” versus “long” probes.