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Six women and six men reproduced ten time intervals varying in logarithmic steps between 1.3 and 20 s. The durations were indicated by white noise of 10, 25, 40 and 55 dB SL, different sound intensities in different sessions. It was found that (i) greater sound intensity entails shorter reproductions, and (ii) reproductions by male observers are shorter than those by female, although for both (i) and (ii) there is an interaction with the standard durations. The data were treated in accordance with the "parallel-clock model" (Eisler, 1975), whereby the parameters of the psychophysical power function are determined from duration reproduction data. As in previous experiments (Eisler, 1975), the data showed a break in the function entailing two segments. The effect of sound intensity could be attributed to the exponent, which was lower for stronger noise, and the effect of sex to the weight coefficient of the upper relative to the lower segment of the psychophysical function, the coefficient being lower for men.

AbstractIn retrospective, as opposed to prospective, temporal tasks, the subject is unaware that a duration judgment will be required. In previous studies, the durations to be judged retrospectively were filled with some cognitive task, like reading. To reduce cognitive effects and keep as close to the "internal clock" as possible, in the present study the durations (ten, ranging from 1.3 to 20 sec) were filled with noise and the method of reproduction was used. Assuming the psychophysical power law, the single retrospective reproductions could be well predicted from (a) the Parallel-Clock Model (originally developed for prospective reproduction experiments, H. Eisler, 1975), together with (b) individual parameter values obtained from prospective data and thus recovered in the retrospective, when (c) the standard durations were transformed by a common additive term. This term was interpreted as representing the influence on where in time the subjects positioned the start of the duration, depending on familiarization with the situation, and boredom.

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