Psychological and physiological implications of time perception
Date
2014-09-12
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Abstract
Inimese aju on aja kulgemise hindamisel üldiselt väga täpne ning seetõttu eeldatakse, et meil on olemas bioloogilist päritolu kellalaadne mehhanism. Olenemata sellest on ajataju sarnaselt teistele psühholoogilistele töötlusprotsessidele tundlik erinevate ärritajate suhtes ning seetõttu võib ajahinnangutes ilmneda ka ebatäpsust. Sisemise kella mudeli järgi saab eristada taktiseadjat, mis „tiksub“ teatud kiirusel ning edastab impulsse, mis seejärel kokku kogutakse ning on aluseks kogetud kestusele. Sisemise kella töö sõltub organismi erutusseisundist ja aktivatsiooni tasemest. Varasemad tööd on näidanud, et organismi temperatuuri tõusuga kaasneb enamasti ka ajamulje muutumine viisil, kus subjektiivset aega tajutakse mööduvat kiiremini võrreldes väliste sündmustega. Seda nähtust seletatakse taktiseadja kiirema tööga, mille tulemusena koguneb subjektiivse ajamulje aluseks olevate impulsside hulk kiiremini. Samas ei ole füsioloogilised muutused kehas ainsaks põhjuseks, miks subjektiivne ajamulje ei vasta reaalsusele. Üsna mõistlik on eeldada, et ekstreermses keskkonnas treenides kaasnevad lisaks kehalisele koormusele ka muutused psüühilises seisundis. Käesolev doktoritöö näitas, et lisaks füsioloogilistele muutuste ilmnemisele taolistes tingimustes on oluline roll ka emotsionaalsel seisundil subjektiivse ajamulje kujunemisel - tajutud väsimustunne vahendab kehatemperatuuri muutuse mõju ajahinnangutele. Seetõttu on erutusseisundi kaudu sisemise kella töö ja ajataju muutlikkuse seletamine psüühilise seisundi korral ebapiisav, kuna emotsionaalset informatsiooni avastab ja töötleb tähelepanu eelisjärjekorras. On tõenäoline, et emotsionaalselt laetud ärritaja tõmbab kiiremini tähelepanu ning seeläbi tõstab ka organismi erutust, mis omakorda avaldab mõju subjektiivse ajamulje kujunemisele. Sellest tulenevalt koondub tähelepanu ajaliselt infolt eemale, taktiseadja poolt tekitatud impulsid lähevad kaduma ja kestust hinnatakse lühemaks. Lisaks näib ajataju olevat üks impulsiivset käitumist kirjeldavatest omadustest ning on tõenäoline, et impulsiivsetel indiviididel on kiirem kognitiivne tempo kui ka ebaefektiivne tunnetuslik töötlus. Kokkuvõttes saab öelda, et ajataju alusmehhanismide uurimisel tasub rakendada afektiivse tähelepanu lähenemist ning pigem vaadelda organismi aktivatsiooni ja tähelepanu töötlusega seonduvat teineteisest sõltuvalt.
Human brain is very accurate in estimating time and thereby, the existence of an internal clock model with biological origin has been suggested. According to this model, the internal clock is comprised of the pacemaker, which generates a series of pulses to be recorded in the accumulator and these pulses are assumed to serve as the “raw” representation of experienced time. The functioning of the internal clock is explained by the arousal-pacemaker link. Earlier works with temperature manipulations have demonstrated that subjective time is extremely sensitive to changes in core temperature. Specifically, the subjective time tends to run faster than the objective time, resulting in perceived dilation of time. Moreover, affective response to prolonged exercise in extreme environments contributes to the sense of time. Current thesis showed that perceived fatigue in such conditions is a possible mediator of temperature effects on time perception. However, emotional information is also more efficient in capturing attention, which in turn modulates time perception. For example, if we have been reading an interesting book, the time is experienced to pass rather quickly, whereas if we are waiting for someone and look at the clock often, the time tends to pass really slowly. The differences between various emotion effects with visual stimuli might reflect the approach-motivated behaviour regarding positive images and avoidance-related behaviour regarding negative images. However, differences in timing emotional images suggest that both arousal and attention mechanism are relevant in affecting time perception. For example, if certain emotional stimuli capture more attention, it might reflect the induced level of arousal. Furthermore, altered time perception is implicated as a general property of impulsive behaviour, indicating a faster cognitive tempo of impulsive individuals and possible differences in affective experience. In conclusion, the psychological state and more specifically, context-specific affective response might be responsible for alterations in time perception in addition to physiological changes, therefore both arousal and attention mechanisms should be considered regarding the internal clock model.
Human brain is very accurate in estimating time and thereby, the existence of an internal clock model with biological origin has been suggested. According to this model, the internal clock is comprised of the pacemaker, which generates a series of pulses to be recorded in the accumulator and these pulses are assumed to serve as the “raw” representation of experienced time. The functioning of the internal clock is explained by the arousal-pacemaker link. Earlier works with temperature manipulations have demonstrated that subjective time is extremely sensitive to changes in core temperature. Specifically, the subjective time tends to run faster than the objective time, resulting in perceived dilation of time. Moreover, affective response to prolonged exercise in extreme environments contributes to the sense of time. Current thesis showed that perceived fatigue in such conditions is a possible mediator of temperature effects on time perception. However, emotional information is also more efficient in capturing attention, which in turn modulates time perception. For example, if we have been reading an interesting book, the time is experienced to pass rather quickly, whereas if we are waiting for someone and look at the clock often, the time tends to pass really slowly. The differences between various emotion effects with visual stimuli might reflect the approach-motivated behaviour regarding positive images and avoidance-related behaviour regarding negative images. However, differences in timing emotional images suggest that both arousal and attention mechanism are relevant in affecting time perception. For example, if certain emotional stimuli capture more attention, it might reflect the induced level of arousal. Furthermore, altered time perception is implicated as a general property of impulsive behaviour, indicating a faster cognitive tempo of impulsive individuals and possible differences in affective experience. In conclusion, the psychological state and more specifically, context-specific affective response might be responsible for alterations in time perception in addition to physiological changes, therefore both arousal and attention mechanisms should be considered regarding the internal clock model.
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Keywords
ajataju, füsioloogilised aspektid, psühholoogilised aspektid, time perception, physiological aspects, psychological aspects