A METHOD FOR STUDYING THE ORGANIZATION OF TIME EXPERIENCE

A method for studying the process of self-evaluation and organization of time experience is described. It utilizes an experimental situation in which the subject is not aware of the experimenter's interest in time perception, in which external cues are minimal and "experiential" cues are confusing. Intervals in the dark are judged as longer than intervals during which the subject is in the presence of an "auto-kinetic" light. There are significant individual differences in the pattern of temporal organization. Ways in which subjects approach the experimental task are described qualitatively. Theoretical and practical implications, including implications for the study of psychopathological phenomena, and possible extensions and variations of the method are discussed.