Age, attention, and time estimation

• Main Authors: Wu,Mei-yao, 吳美瑤
• Other Authors: Liao,Ruey-ming
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2005
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/84659089151689819970

碩士 === 國立政治大學 === 心理學研究所 === 93 === The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the attention and age on time estimation based on the prospective timing paradigm. Four timing tasks, with different degrees of attentional requirement, were utilized to test timing of reproducing the target intervals in three groups of different ages including the lower-grade (M= 7.5 years), higher-grade (M= 11.2 years) elementary school students and adult (M= 20.1 years). The subjects in this work were asked to estimate a stimulus duration lasting for 7 or 14 s, during which they are required to either do or do not perform a concurrent non-temporal task. Thus, the experimental design for the present study was mixed with between-subject factors (age and task) and a within-subject factor (target interval). The results showed (1) the lower-grade children performed less accurate than the higher-grade children; (2) all subjects had worse timing performance in the dual-task condition than the single-task or control condition, which effect was most evident in the lower-grade children; (3) all subjects reproduced shorter interval as compared to the target interval, which effect was most apparently observed from the dual-task for the lower-grade children; (4) the lower-grade children had less reliability in timing; and (5) the effect of age on the single-task and control condition is not significant. Together, these data indicate that concurrent non-temporal task cause temporal reproduction shorter, especially under high attention demand in lower-grade children. In addition to the influence by the task complexity, the accuracy of timing estimation depends on the age. Keywords: time reproduction、age and development、dual task、attention、elementary school student、Scalar expectancy theory(SET)