Emotional Context Distorts Both Time and Space in Children

Pom Charras,Julie Fonseca Cruz,Claire Brechet,Kévin Vidaud-Laperrière

doi:10.4236/jbbs.2020.109023

Abstract

According to a generalized magnitude system, the representation of time, space and number relies on a common cognitive mechanism. However, in the context of negative emotional stimuli, temporal durations undergo a subjective overestimation, while numerosity judgments are underestimated. This finding clearly challenged the existence of a generalized magnitude system. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether angry faces biases both temporal and spatial estimates compared to neutral faces in children aged 5 - 6-year-old and 9 - 10-year-old. Children were to judge as short or long either the temporal interval or the distance separating two visual stimuli in a bisection task. Overall, the study suggests that negative emotion with high arousal (angry faces) leads to a distortion of both duration and distance. Such distortion is reported early in development, even before the maturation of time perception.

Highlights

High-arousal and negative stimuli are known to bias time perception resulting in a temporal lengthening effect
According to a generalized magnitude system, the representation of time, space and number relies on a common cognitive mechanism
While some studies suggest that magnitude estimations are differentially biased by high-arousal and negative emotional context [1] [2] [3], another study provided evidence for an analogue effect of emotion on time, space and numerosity [4]

Summary

Introduction

High-arousal and negative stimuli are known to bias time perception resulting in a temporal lengthening effect. While some studies suggest that magnitude estimations are differentially biased by high-arousal and negative emotional context [1] [2] [3], another study provided evidence for an analogue effect of emotion on time, space and numerosity [4]. In 2003, Walsh developed the AToM theory (A Theory of Magnitudes) which states the existence of a generalized magnitude system involving the inferior parietal cortex [5] Magnitudes such as time, numerosity or space might share a common cognitive mechanism responsible for elaborating amodal representations of “more than—less than”, “faster—slower”, “bigger—smaller” [5] [6] [7]. Given that attentional capabilities and working memory are not fully mature in young children; spatial judgments are much more accurate as compared to temporal estimations [22]

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