Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Impact of Attention on the Internal Clock in Prospective Timing: Is It Direct or Indirect?

  • Chapter
Multidisciplinary Aspects of Time and Time Perception

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNAI,volume 6789))

Abstract

A debate about the nature of the influence of attention on prospective timing exists. According to one approach, attention directly influences the internal clock and determines how many pulses emitted by a pacemaker will be accumulated in a given time unit ("direct-impact" hypothesis). According to a different view ("indirect-impact" hypothesis), attention does not influence the internal clock directly but rather indirectly. In order to test the "direct-impact" hypothesis, an experiment was conducted, in which the amount of attentional resources available for timing was determined before the onset of a target interval. It was found that prospective timing of a target interval was affected by the manipulation, which took place before it even started. Although the results do not allow discarding the "indirect-impact" hypothesis, they are certainly consistent with the "direct-impact" hypothesis. Further research is needed in order to determine which approach can provide the best explanation for the findings.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Tobin, S., Bisson, N., Grondin, S.: An ecological approach to prospective and retrospective timing of long durations: A study involving gamers. PLoS One 5(2), e9271 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Zakay, D.: Gating or switching? Gating is a better model of prospective timing. Behavioural Processes 50, 1–7 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Zakay, D.: Attention et jugement temporel/Attention and Duration Judgment. Psychologie Française 50, 65–79 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Zakay, D., Block, R.A.: The distinction between prospective and retrospective duration judgments: An executive-control functions’ perspective. Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis 64, 319–332 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Block, R.A.: Models of psychological time. In: Block, R.A. (ed.) Cognitive Models of Psychological Time, pp. 1–35. Erlbaum, Hillsdale (1990)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Grondin, S.: Timing and time perception: A review of recent behavioural and neuroscience findings and theoretical directions. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics 72, 561–582 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Brown, S.W.: Attentional resources in Timing: Interference effects in concurrent temporal and nontemporal working memory tasks. Perception & Psychophysics 59, 1118–1140 (1997)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Brown, S.W., Stubbs, D.A., West, A.N.: Attention, multiple timing, and psychophysical scaling of temporal judgements. In: Macar, F., Pouthas, V., Friedman, W. (eds.) Time, Action, Cognition: Towards Bridging the Gap, pp. 129–140. Kluwer, Dordrecht (1992)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  9. Grondin, S., Macar, F.: Dividing attention between temporal and nontemporal tasks: A performance operating characteristic—POC—analysis. In: Macar, F., Pouthas, V., Friedman, W. (eds.) Time, Action, Cognition: Towards Bridging the Gap, pp. 119–128. Kluwer, Dordrecht (1992)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  10. Macar, F., Grondin, S., Casini, L.: Controlled attention sharing influences time estimation. Memory & Cognition 22, 673–686 (1994)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Zakay, D., Block, R.A.: Temporal cognition. Current Directions in Psychological Science 6, 12–16 (1994)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Zakay, D.: Time estimation methods: Do they influence prospective duration estimates. Perception 22, 91–101 (1993)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Taatgen, N.A., Van Rijin, H., Anderson, J.: An integrated theory of prospective time interval estimation: The role of cognition, attention and learning. Psychological Review 114, 577–598 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Grondin, S., Rammsayer, T.H.: Attention preparation and duration discrimination. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology 56A, 731–765 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Los, S.A., Van Den Heuvel, C.E.: Intentional and unintentional contributions to non-specific preparation during reaction time foreperiods. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance 27, 370–386 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Niemi, P., Näätänen, R.: Foreperiod and simple reaction time. Psychological Bulletin 89, 133–162 (1981)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Zakay, D.: On prospective time estimation, temporal relevance and temporal uncertainty. In: Macar, F., Pouthas, V., Friedman, W. (eds.) Time, Action and Cognition, pp. 109–118. Kluwer, Dordrecht (1992)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  18. Grondin, S., Meilleur-Wells, G., Lachance, R.: When to start explicit counting in time-intervals discrimination task: A critical point in the timing process of humans. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance 25, 993–1004 (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Killeen, P.R., Weiss, N.A.: Optimal timing and the Weber function. Psychological Review 94, 455–468 (1987)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Grondin, S.: Judgments of the duration of visually marked empty time intervals; Linking perceived duration and sensitivity. Perception & Psychophysics 60, 319–330 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Bendixen, A., Grimm, S., Schröger, E.: Human auditory event-related potentials predict duration judgments. Neuroscience Letters 383, 284–288 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Bausenhart, K.M., Rolke, B., Ulrich, R.: Temporal preparation improves temporal resolution: Evidence from constant foreperiods. Attention, Perception and Psychophysics 79, 1504–1514 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Block, R.A., Hancock, P.A., Zakay, D.: How cognitive load affects duration judgments: A meta analytic review. Acta Psychologica 134, 330–343 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Zakay, D., Block, R.A.: The role of attention in time estimation processes. In: Pastore, M.A., Artieda, J. (eds.) Time, Internal C1ocks and Movement, pp. 143–164. Elsevier, Amsterdam (1996)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  25. Barnes, R., Jones, M.R.: Expectancy, attention and time. Cognitive Psychology 41, 254–311 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Correa, A., Sanabria, D., Spence, C., Tudela, P., Lupianez, J.: Selective temporal attention enhances the temporal resolution of visual perception: Evidence from a temporal order judgment task. Brain Research 1070, 202–205 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Enns, J.T., Buehaut, J.C., Shore, D.I.: The duration of a brief event in the mind’s eye. The Journal of General Psychology 126, 355–372 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Nobre, A.C., Correa, A., Coull, J.T.: The hazards of time. Current Opinion in Neurobiology 17, 465–470 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Taatgen, N.A., Van Rijin, H., Anderson, J.: Time perception: beyond single interval estimation. In: Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Cognitive Modeling, pp. 296–301. Erlbaum, Mahwah (2004)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. École de psychologie. Université Laval, Québec, QC, GIV0A6, Canada

    Pierre-Luc Gamache & Simon Grondin

  2. The Inter-Disciplinary Center, School of Psychology, Herzeliya, Israel

    Dan Zakay

Authors
  1. Pierre-Luc Gamache
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Simon Grondin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Dan Zakay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Cognitive Systems Research Institute, Fthiotidos 16, 11523, Athens, Greece

    Argiro Vatakis

  2. Dept. of Psychology and IIASS, International Institute for Advanced Scientific Studies, Second University of Naples, Vietri sul Mare, SA, Italy

    Anna Esposito

  3. Institute for Language and Speech Processing, Athens, Greece

    Maria Giagkou

  4. UCD School of Computer Science and Informatics, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland

    Fred Cummins

  5. Department of Music Studies, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Georgios Papadelis

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Gamache, PL., Grondin, S., Zakay, D. (2011). The Impact of Attention on the Internal Clock in Prospective Timing: Is It Direct or Indirect?. In: Vatakis, A., Esposito, A., Giagkou, M., Cummins, F., Papadelis, G. (eds) Multidisciplinary Aspects of Time and Time Perception. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 6789. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21478-3_12

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21478-3_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-21477-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-21478-3

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation