MEMORY OF ELAPSED TIME AND FEELING OF TIME DISCREPANCY

Abstract

Sz~mmay.-In dating past events, one sometimes recalls inaccurate dates and tends to estimate recent events too remotely and remote events too recently (telescoping). O n the other hand, even when one knows the exact dates of events, subjective time could be elastic and often ddferent from objective time. This Feeling of Time Discrepancy between objective and subjective elapsed times was examined with two autobiographical events. Results showed that (1) subjects reported a discrepancy even if the exact dates of events were known and (2) the discrepancy for entrance into university was higher than that for graduation from high school, even when they happened at almost same time. The results are discussed in terms of location and distance theories, Kemp's 1993 associative model of dating, and Conway's ZOO0 self-memory system. A u t o b ~ o ~ r ~ p h i c a l memory may be organized in terms of present self-concept with our pas[ t ~ r r c d to the present self-concept. However, if autobiographical memory changes greatly, we cannot share autobiographical memory with other people. We may be adapted to the present life by making only a sense of the subjective elapsed time of each event change with the accurate time information of the autobiographical facts held.