Assessment of time perception: The effect of aging

Studies concerning time perception lack a validated assessment tool and a consensual “gold-standard” measure. Moreover, the present evidence suggests modification of timing with aging. This study aimed to develop and validate a neuropsychological tool to measure time perception and to study temporal...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society 2004-05, Vol.10 (3), p.332-341
Main Authors: COELHO, MIGUEL, FERREIRA, JOAQUIM JOSÉ, DIAS, BEATRIZ, SAMPAIO, CRISTINA, MARTINS, ISABEL PAVÃO, CASTRO-CALDAS, ALEXANDRE
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Age
Age Factors
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Aging
Aging - physiology
Attention
Auditory Perception
Behavior
Clocks & watches
Expectancy theories
Female
Generalization (Psychology)
Humans
Literacy
Male
Middle Aged
Nervous system
Parkinson's disease
Regression Analysis
Studies
Time Factors
Time perception
Time Perception - physiology
Working memory
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Summary:Studies concerning time perception lack a validated assessment tool and a consensual “gold-standard” measure. Moreover, the present evidence suggests modification of timing with aging. This study aimed to develop and validate a neuropsychological tool to measure time perception and to study temporal perception with aging. Eighty-six healthy participants, aged 15–90 years old, were asked to verbally estimate and produce empty intervals signaled by auditory beeps, of 7-, 32-, and 58-s duration. Two tests were used as “gold-standards”: estimation of the duration of time necessary to draw a clock (“clock time”) and estimation of the duration of neuropsychological evaluation (“global time”). Results showed a correlation between estimation and production (p < .01) and a correlation between estimation or production and “global time” (p < .01). The correlation between either estimation or production and age (p < .01), suggested a faster “internal-clock” in the older participants. However, this finding lost significance when controlled for literacy. The results suggest that these tests are potentially a useful tool to measure subjective perception of time. They also corroborate the hypothesis of a change in subjective time perception with aging. It was not possible to conclude if this effect was a specific result of aging or biased by the interference of literacy. (JINS, 2004, 10, 332–341.)
ISSN:1355-6177
1469-7661
DOI:10.1017/S1355617704103019