The Effect Of Magnitude Information On Time Perception

Many studies on the close relationship between time perception and number shows that, people's Perception of duration of number stimuli can be influenced by its magnitude, specifically, when stimuli are constituted by digits, small digits bias estimation towards short durations whereas large digits bias estimation towards long durations. Walsh (2003) outline A Theory Of Magnitude (ATOM) that propose time, space and quantity can be part of a generalized magnitude system in cognitive system and that cognitive components influence each other. The aim of the current study is to assess whether time perception can be influenced by magnitude information, as well as how they affect. In Experiment 1, the stimuli including different four types of magnitude information replaces the previous studies only the use of digital information as the number of test stimulus to test a wider range of magnitude information on the impact of time perception is similar to digital impact on time perception. In the center of the screen, the subjects were presented a pair of the length of time that is not equivalent to the quantity of a stimulus, participants were asked to separate the two keys to determine the magnitude of stimuli before and after the duration of which a longer (or shorter),the results showed that when the stimulus quantity are constituted by its presentation time(large vs. long , small vs. short), the subject's response to the error rate is low; when the stimulus quantity and its duration is inconsistent (large vs. short, small vs. long), the subject's response to the error rate is high. This phenomenon show that subjects were rendered in determining the length of time when the stimulus tends to rely on the quantity of a stimulus .In order to further study how different amounts information affects time perception, or what kind of magnitude information impact of time perception is more dominant, therefore design paradigm of the experiment 2. In the second experiment, experiment's stimuli display two kinds of information including the actual and the abstract magnitude information at the same time, the subjects were still asked to test before and after the stimulus presentation time to determine what longer (or shorter). when the stimulus actual quantity are constituted by its presentation time(large vs. long, small vs. short), the subject's response to the error rate is low; when the stimulus actual quantity and its duration is inconsistent (large vs. short, small vs. long), the subject's response to the error rate is high. Experiment 2 this result seems to indicate that subjects were almost ignored the existence of abstract quantitative information, but rather depend on the size of the actual magnitude information to judge time, that is, the actual quantitative information impact on time perception may be greater than the abstract magnitude influencing time perception. in order to more positive about the discovery of experiment 2, In experiment 3, in the two experiments indicated that the actual quantitative information of font size were changed to the number of the target stimulus, but the results still show similar to experiment 2. This more positive the findings that the actual amount time impact on time perception may be greater than the abstract quantity impact on time perception.