Time perception is not always veridical, but it can be modulated by changes in internal and external context. The most-acknowledged theory in this regard hypothesises the existence of an internal clock allowing us to subjectively estimate time intervals. The aim of the present study is to investigate the possible effect of such an internal clock, measured as the ability to reproduce a target duration, in the mental manipulation of time: 63 healthy participants were asked to Bisect and to Double reference time intervals, besides Reproducing them. Moreover, to investigate whether time processing might be predicted by individual differences, handedness, anxiety, and personality traits were also assessed by means of standardized questionnaires. Results show that participants correctly Reproduce time intervals (internal clock), but they overestimate time intervals during Bisection and underestimate them during Doubling. We explain this unexpected pattern of results as a kind of aftereffect, due to the short-term retention (adaptation) to the subjective representation of shorter (Bisection) vs longer (Doubling) intervals, respectively. Moreover, hierarchic regression models reveal that some personality traits can predict Bisection accuracy, but they clearly show that the best predictor for both Bisection and Doubling is the accuracy in Reproducing time intervals, confirming the fundamental role of the internal clock in time estimation. We conclude that time estimation is a unique skill, mostly independent from inter-individual differences, and the new paradigms introduced here (bisection vs doubling) reveal that the correct functioning of the internal clock also explains the ability to mentally manipulate the time.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the obligation to wear surgical face masks have affected social interactions. Wearing a mask can cause impairments in face identification, emotion recognition, and trait impressions. The present study investigated, during the COVID-19 period, age-related differences in perceived trustworthiness (Study 1) and health (Study 2) when viewing faces with or without masks. Younger (YAs, 18–35 years) and older (OAs, over 65 years) adults’ ratings were compared. Through a web-based platform, a series of neutral younger and older faces (YFs vs. OFs) were presented, on a computer screen, with or without a mask (Mask vs. No-Mask), and participants were asked to rate them on a 7-point scale. Furthermore, data collected during the pandemic (Mask and No-Mask conditions) were compared with ratings obtained before it (Pre-COVID condition). Perceived trustworthiness was lower in the No-Mask condition for both age groups compared to Mask and Pre-COVID conditions, which did not differ. For health ratings, no differences emerged for OAs between the conditions, whereas YAs’ ratings were lower in both the Mask and No-Mask conditions compared to the Pre-COVID condition. The fear of contracting COVID-19 affected both trustworthiness and health ratings. Wearing a surgical face mask affects trait impressions for YAs and OAs, partly due to the fear of COVID-19. Trait impressions are also influenced by the age of the face to be evaluated.

The present study tested the influence of stimuli emotional valence, emotional arousal, and typicality on memory recollection in three groups of participants exposed to the same environment through different modalities: in vivo exposure (i.e., real-life), 3D virtual reality (i.e., VR), and 2D pictures. Context-related free-recall, recognition accuracy, and recognition confidence were analyzed. The results showed that memory performance was best in the real-life modality, and participants in the VR and 2D pictures modalities performed comparably. Interesting effects of stimuli emotional valence and typicality emerged: in the VR and 2D pictures modalities, positive items were better recalled than negative items; typicality was relevant only in the real-life modality, with less common objects within the explored setting (i.e., an office) recalled more often. Furthermore, recognition accuracy and confidence were significantly higher in the real-life modality than in the VR and 2D pictures modalities. Further research is needed to support the creation of VR environments that are sufficiently comparable to real-life contexts in order to obtain higher ecological validity in studies of cognitive performance. In particular, the impact of stimuli typicality and emotional valence in VR contexts should be investigated to gain insight into how these features might improve memory recall in virtual scenarios.