6533b83afe1ef96bd12a705d
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Perceiving numbers alters time perception.
Giacomo KochRenata ManganoSilvia SalernoCarlo CaltagironePatrizia TurrizianiCarmelo M. VicarioCarmelo M. VicarioGaetana ChillemiMassimiliano Oliverisubject
AdultMalemedicine.medical_specialtyCognitive systemsTime Factorsmedia_common.quotation_subjectAudiologyStimulus (physiology)Developmental psychologyNOTime estimationPerceptionmedicineHumansmedia_commonAnalysis of VarianceGeneral NeuroscienceHealthy subjectsTime perception numbers magnitudeTime perceptionPhotic Stimulation; Analysis of Variance; Humans; Adult; Time Perception; Time Factors; Male; Female; MathematicsNumerical digitTime PerceptionMagnitude Numbers Time perception Adult Analysis of Variance Female Humans Male Photic Stimulation Time Factors Time Perception Mathematics Neuroscience (all)Settore MED/26 - NeurologiaFemaleAlphabetPsychologyMathematicsPhotic Stimulationdescription
The representation of time, space and numbers are strictly linked in the primate's cognitive system. Here we show that merely looking at number symbols biases a temporal judgment on their duration depending upon the number's magnitude. In a first experiment, a group of healthy subjects was submitted to a time estimation task, requiring to judge whether the duration of a test stimulus was longer or shorter than that of a previous reference fixed stimulus (digit 5; duration 300 ms). Test stimuli were the digits 1, 5 and 9 ranging between 250 and 350 ms. The main results showed that temporal perception was biased according to the magnitude expressed by the digit: low digits (i.e. 1) leading to underestimation and high digits (i.e. 9) an overestimation of perceived duration. Control experiments showed that this result was consistent whatever digits were tested but not when letters of the alphabet were used. These findings argue for a functional interaction between time and numbers in the cognitive system.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-01-01 | Neuroscience letters |