Change biases identify the features that drive time perception.

Abstract

Time perception is malleable, and the perceived duration of stimuli can be strongly affected by the sensory response they evoke. Such 'temporal illusions' provide a window on how different sensory systems contribute to our sense of time. Evidence suggests that the sensory response to different features affects time perception to different extents, mediated by the level of arousal or surprise that they evoke. This, however, makes it difficult to disentangle effects of the sensory response itself from the derived arousal or surprise effects.Here, we demonstrate that time perception is differentially affected by different stimulus features when arousal and surprise are kept constant. In four temporal discrimination experiments, participants were presented with empty intervals (1.25-2.25s) marked by two briefly presented visual marker stimuli, and judged whether the duration was longer or shorter than a 1.75s reference. Markers either repeated or changed along one of six feature dimensions, in a manner fully predictable to participants. Repetitions and changes would modulate sensory response magnitudes due to neural repetition suppression. Results showed that intervals were perceived as longer when markers changed in location, size or numerosity. Conversely, changes in face identity, orientation or luminance did not affect time perception. These results point to neural and functional selectivity in the way different stimulus features affect time perception. Public significance statement:The neural sensory response evoked by a stimulus can affect its perceived duration. When a stimulus repeats, sensory neurons will have an attenuated response, which makes the stimulus seem to last shorter than when a stimulus changes. This study uses this observation to disseminate the relation between time perception and sensory responses to different visual features, and demonstrates that the different features that make up a stimulus affect its perceived duration.

The temporal context in bayesian models of interval timing: Recent advances and future directions.

“…The well-recognized strength of Bayesian models is their ability to account for context effects, including the influence of nontemporal factors such as general stimulus intensity or magnitude (Kruijne & van Rijn, 2021). Although earlier approaches combined a linear-weighted average and scalar timing theory in a "memory-mixing" model, they lack clarity regarding the mechanisms involved in subjective interval representation and the contribution of local and global contexts (Gu & Meck, 2011).…”

The role of attention in the effect of facial attractiveness on time perception

“…From another perspective, the influential role of attention in the time dilation effect also reflects the fact that time perception is highly flexible, with increased attention resulting in an overestimation of perceived time, and decreased attention leading to an underestimate regarding perception of timing. This flexibility in perceived time reflects the process by which individuals adapt to shifts in their environment (Cicchini et al, 2012 ; Kruijne & van Rijn, 2021 ; Lake et al, 2016 ).…”