| The ability of organisms to perceive the passage of time is fundamental to higher level behaviors, as well as a crucial aspect of the learning process (Pavlov, 1927; Savanto & Miller, 1998), yet our understanding of how non-temporal aspects of a stimulus alter temporal perception is insufficient. We trained rats on a version of the peak interval procedure, incorporating both filled (stimulus present) and empty (stimulus absent) trials, designed to dissociate two theoretical accounts of the modality effect (in humans and rats, auditory durations are perceived as longer than visual stimuli). Although the study ultimately was incapable of dissociating the two hypotheses, the pattern of results highlighted our lack of understanding regarding how an organism may be capable of incorporating several sources of temporal information. |
