Abstract
A statistical decision hypothesis is outlined to account for a progressive lengthening of judgments which occurs when a series of reproductions of a time interval is made without interpolation of a standard. Three experiments are reported in which it is found that this serial effect can be manipulated by hypothetical payoff conditions, that the effect still occurs when subjects are told to count while making their judgments, and that two successive judgments are sufficient to demonstrate the effect if enough subjects are used. The phenomenon is related to recent studies of vigilance in which statistical decision theory has been applied. It is suggested that serial reproductions of time intervals may perhaps be a more sensitive index of the factors underlying vigilance than the traditional measures involving long sessions with weak, sporadic signals.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Broadbent, D. E., &Gregory, M. Vigilance considered as a statistical decision.Brit. J. Psychol., 1963, 54, 309–329.
Falk, J. L., &Bindra, D. Judgement of time as a function of serial position and stress.J. exp. Psychol., 1954, 47, 279–282.
McGrath, J. J. Irrelevant stimulation and vigilance performance. In D. N. Buckner & J. J. McGrath (Eds.),Vigilance: a symposium. New York: McGraW-Hill, 1963. Pp. 3–21.
McGrath, J. J., &O’Hanlon, J. F. Temporal orientation and vigilance performance.Acta Psychol., 1967, 27, 410–419.
Streicher, H. W., &Brantley, J. C. A repeated estimate effect in line drawing.Percept. mot. Skills, 1967, 24, 1054.
von Stumer, G. Stimulus variation and sequential judgements of duration.Quart. J. exp. Psychol., 1966, 18, 354–357.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Von Sturmer, G. Time perception, vigilance and decision theory. Perception & Psychophysics 3, 197–200 (1968). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03212728
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03212728