Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Depressed mood states affect subjective perceptions of time but it is not clear whether this is due to changes in the underlying timing mechanisms, such as the speed of the internal clock. In order to study depression effects on time perception, two experiments using time discrimination methods with short (<300 ms) and long (>1,000 ms) durations were conducted. Student participants who were categorized as mildly depressed by their scores on the Beck Depression Inventory were less able than controls to discriminate between two longer durations but were equally able to discriminate shorter intervals. The results suggest that mildly depressed or dysphoric moods do not affect pacemaker speed. It is more likely that depression affects the ability to maintain attention to elapsing duration.

Original publication

DOI

10.1080/17470218.2011.608908

Type

Journal article

Journal

Q J Exp Psychol (Hove)

Publication Date

2012

Volume

65

Pages

632 - 645

Keywords

Depression, Discrimination (Psychology), Female, Humans, Male, Neuropsychological Tests, Perceptual Disorders, Photic Stimulation, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Reaction Time, Students, Time Factors, Time Perception, Universities