LEARNING AND RETENTION IN THE ESTIMATION OF SHORT TIME INTERVALS: A CIRCUIT AND A STUDY.

Abstract

An investigation of the temporal course of learning and retention in the estimation of short time intervals is reported. In addition, a versatile response feedback circuit used in this investigation and appropriate for other studies concerned with time estimation or delayed responding is described. The experimental design was a 6 time intervals (1½, 3, 4½, 6, 7½, and 9 sec.) by 6 Ss balanced Latin square in which 6 adult female Ss made 10 pre-feedback, 25 feedback, and 15 post-feedback time estimates by terminating a 500-cps stimulus tone when they judged it to have been on for a certain time interval. Feedback consisted of informing S if she had responded too soon, too late, or at the correct time. Analysis of the 1800 absolute differences in milliseconds between real and estimated interval gave the following results. (1) During the pre-feedback phase, there was a moderate negative relationship between accuracy of time estimation and duration of interval estimated. (2) Accuracy of estimation improved on the trial following the first feedback trial, but little further improvement during the feedback phase was noted. (3) Amount of improvement in accuracy of estimation with feedback had a moderate negative relationship to duration of interval estimated. (4) Accuracy of estimation declined rather rapidly during the post-feedback phase. Some implications of these findings and suggestions for further research are presented.