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. 2013 Aug 21;8(8):e71424.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0071424. eCollection 2013.

Development of time sensitivity and information processing speed

Sylvie Droit-Volet  1 , Pierre S Zélanti
Affiliations

Development of time sensitivity and information processing speed

Sylvie Droit-Volet et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine whether age-related changes in the speed of information processing are the best predictors of the increase in sensitivity to time throughout childhood. Children aged 5 and 8 years old, as well adults, were given two temporal bisection tasks, one with short (0.5/1-s) and the other with longer (4/8-s) anchor durations. In addition, the participants' scores on different neuropsychological tests assessing both information processing speed and other dimensions of cognitive control (short-term memory, working memory, selective attention) were calculated. The results showed that the best predictor of individual variances in sensitivity to time was information processing speed, although working memory also accounted for some of the individual differences in time sensitivity, albeit to a lesser extent. In sum, the faster the information processing speed of the participants, the higher their sensitivity to time was. These results are discussed in the light of the idea that the development of temporal capacities has its roots in the maturation of the dynamic functioning of the brain.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Bisection functions.
Proportions of long responses plotted against stimulus durations for the 5-, the 8-year-olds and the adults in the short (0.5/1-s) and the longer (4/8-s) duration range condition.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Time sensitivity.
Weber ratio for the 5-, the 8-year-olds and the adults in the short (0.5/1-s) and the longer (4/8-s) duration range condition.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Time sensitivity and information processing speed.
Significant correlation between Weber Ratio and information processing speed (z-scores).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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