Processes of the correlation of space (lengths) and time (duration)in human perception

TL;DR

This study investigates how humans perceive and correlate space and time, revealing a two-stage innate proportionality mechanism influenced by uncertainty levels through experiments involving duration and length judgments.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel experimental method (LDR) and provides evidence for a two-stage innate mechanism of correlating space and time in human perception.

Findings

Higher uncertainty increases differences between first and second responses.

Subjects show improved accuracy in second responses, indicating learning or adaptation.

A two-stage innate proportionality mechanism underlies space-time correlation.

Abstract

To study the processes and mechanisms of the correlation between space and time, particularly between lengths and durations in human perception, a special method (device and procedure) to conduct this experiment was designed and called LDR (Length Duration Relation) In the present study a pilot and three series of the primary experiment were conducted under conditions of different levels of uncertainty. In all types of experiments, signals of a certain duration and modality were presented twice in random order to the subjects. Subjects had to respond to time signals of different durations by choosing a corresponding space interval. The data which were obtained during the 1st and the 2nd time signal presentations were examined separately. The comparative data analysis of the experiment showed significant differences between the 1st and 2nd presentation of signals in the quantity of correct responses, the responses distribution along the scale of stimuli, the phenomena which occurred during the experiment. The higher level of uncertainty condition under which a certain type of the experiment was conducted, the more clearly this difference was manifested. Based on results of the experiments comparative data analysis, one can suppose that the perceptive mechanism, named by us as an innate mechanism of proportionality, performed the correlation of these intervals into two stages: adaptation and activation