Indian Journal of Human Relations

Attention model suggests that observer are more attentive during non-temporal information processing as compared to when people are paying attention to the processing of only temporal information, which may result in impaired time perception (Zakay & Block, 1995). Present study aims to investigate the effect of continuous and noncontinuous attention on time perception task. Ninety participants (45 male and 45 female) ranging from 18 to 26 years with mean age of 21.47 years, SD=1.53 of the Banaras Hindu University took part in the study. Total 80 pictures were used in the study. The pictures were drawn randomly from International Affective Picture System (IAPS) which is categorized on three levels valance, dominance and arousal. All participants were categorized in to two groups. One group was exposed to continuous picture while the other group were shown non-continuous picture with an interval of 3000 milliseconds. The total time allotted for picture exposure was kept constant for both conditions i.e. 120 Seconds. In continuous condition total 60 pictures were shown with 2000 millisecond exposure to each image whereas in non-continuous condition only 20 pictures were shown with duration of 2000 milliseconds with an interval of 3000 milliseconds between two pictures. Prospective paradigm was used for time perception. Time perception was measured by using verbal method. Slideshow of pictures was designed on SuperLab^® (Cedrus, 2012, Version 4.5) Software. In accordance with attentional model, independent t-test results shows that high underestimation of time perception was found under noncontinuous condition in comparison to continuous condition.