Experiments in Time Perception

Experimentation was carried out to test for a relationship between subjective time perception and ability to make temporal judgements. The performance of 20 depersonalized and derealized patients and 20 controls, was compared on a variety of tests of time judgement administered under normal laboratory conditions and under conditions which have been shown to induce or amplify distortions in subjective temporal experience. The results failed to indicate any reliable relationship between subjective temporal experience and ability to make time judgements. The performance of patients did not differ reliably from that of controls under any of the testing conditions; exposure to distorting conditions did not have a reliable effect on temporal performance and Ss who reported temporal distortions either in their past life or while actually performing the tests of time judgement, failed to perform differently from Ss who did not report distortions.