Perception of Time
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
And now for another Human Factors Minute.
What are the theoretical models of time perception?
With so many theoretical models for how we perceive time, researchers have started comparing the different models. This emphasises that we still have much to learn about how we perceive time in the real world and use that perception to interact with our environment. Recent research tells us that time perception involves a large neural network throughout the brain.
There is no specific structure that controls it. In general, our understanding is that our perception of time is a combination of a variety of factors such as attention, arousal, emotions and environmental cues
How do emotions and attention influence our perception of time?
Time can appear to move faster if we are in a positive state and have a high approach motivation, the desire and drive to do something, or find activities so enjoyable and immersive that time seems to pass by faster than usual, which is sometimes referred to as a flow state. Conversely, focusing our attention on something can also make time seem to move slower. When the possibility of reward is present, Stimuli are perceived as lasting longer than when there is little or no prospective reward.
What role does reward play in our perception of time?
These results seem to indicate that if a stimulus is associated with a reward, it becomes more salient, grabbing more of our attention and thus distorting how long we perceive it to last. Time can also seem to move slower if we experience awe, likely from feeling more present and in the moment, or fear, possibly so we have more time to prepare and to react to fear-inducing stimuli.
How does the embodied perspective shape our experience of time?
Our experience of time is also influenced by cues from our bodies, visual input, body movements, and information we receive from our tissues, are connected to time perception, leading to what is called the embodied perspective of time perception in humans, which tells us that our brain's interpretation of signals throughout our body is a crucial element of how we perceive time.
This has been another Human Factors Minute.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:02
2
What are the theoretical models of time perception?
0:02–0:30
3
How do emotions and attention influence our perception of time?
0:30–0:54
4
What role does reward play in our perception of time?
0:54–1:13
5
How does the embodied perspective shape our experience of time?
1:13–1:42