Graduation Semester and Year
2019
Language
English
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Psychology
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Daniel S Levine
Abstract
Temporal dilation and temporal contraction are perceived as duration lasting longer or shorter than the standard time unit, respectively. Social, cognitive, and emotional context influences temporal perception such that socially stressful or cognitively demanding tasks distort the perception of time. In the present study, subjects (N = 123) first experienced a state of mindfulness, reported to cause temporal dilation (Kramer et al., 2013) and then performed a demanding cognitive task, reported to cause temporal contraction (Block et al., 2010). Subjects watched either a guided mindfulness video (experimental) or a relaxing music video (control). Subjects then estimated the duration of the video. They then completed either a 1-back (easy) or a 3-back (hard) working memory task and estimated the time it took for their respective n-back condition. Results indicate that after controlling for arousal level and task difficulty, the negative outcome of temporal contraction (i.e. poor performance) was buffered by experiencing temporal dilation (mindfulness), β = -.43, t(116) = -3.43, p = .001, sr2 = .08. Our study suggests that experiencing the mindful moment before a cognitively demanding task may restore performance via distorting time perception.
Keywords
Time perception, Mindful meditation, Temporal distortions, Working memory
Disciplines
Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Dhaliwal, Amandeep Singh, "The Effects of Temporal Contraction and Temporal Dilation on Cognitive Performance" (2019). Psychology Theses. 152.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/psychology_theses/152
Comments
Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington