Color and time perception: Evidence for temporal overestimation of blue stimuli

D Oberfeld,J Iflinger,S Thönes,C Von Castell

doi:10.1038/s41598-018-19892-z

Abstract

The perceived duration of a visual stimulus depends on various features, such as its size, shape, and movement. Potential effects of stimulus color have not been investigated in sufficient detail yet, but the well-known effects of arousal on time perception suggest that arousing hues, such as red, might induce an overestimation of duration. By means of a two-interval duration discrimination task in the sub-second range, we investigated whether participants overestimate the duration of red stimuli in comparison to blue stimuli, while controlling for differences in brightness (individual adjustments by means of flicker photometry) and saturation (colorimetric adjustment in terms of the CIELAB color space). Surprisingly, our results show an overestimation of the duration of blue compared to red stimuli (indicated by a shift of the point of subjective equality), even though the red stimuli were rated as being more arousing. The precision (variability) of duration judgments, i.e., the duration difference limen, did not differ between red and blue stimuli, questioning an explanation in terms of attentional processes.

Highlights

An accurate perception of time and the ability to precisely time the duration of temporal intervals are essential conditions for appropriate behavioral control
We investigated whether the perceived duration of a visual stimulus is affected by its color
Based on the well-known effects of arousal on time perception and the arousing character of red hues, we assumed that participants should overestimate the duration of a red stimulus in comparison to a blue stimulus

Summary

Introduction

An accurate perception of time and the ability to precisely time the duration of temporal intervals are essential conditions for appropriate behavioral control. According to the internal-clock model, this should result in a longer perceived duration of the red compared to the blue stimulus Such effects of arousal on time perception were reported in several experiments manipulating the level of arousal[13,14,15], for example by means of emotional valence of presented facial expressions[16,17,18], threatening character[19], and erotic content[20]. Gorn, et al.[21] reported that the duration of a red screen was overestimated in comparison to a blue screen In this particular study, hue, brightness, and saturation were manipulated independently. Further studies on effects of color on time perception did not provide clear evidence for a temporal overestimation of red stimuli[25,26], and may even challenge the notion of red being more arousing than blue[27,28]

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Results

Conclusion