Time estimation: Close your eyes and tell me when a minute goes by

Abstract

The 1-minute estimation test is a relatively new task. This article is an initial offering showing normative data for children from age six up through adulthood (age =76). The task is quite simple, the individual was simply asked to estimate the passage of time for 1 minute. The normative data indicate that children’s data needs to be stratified by age, whereas adult data did not need to be stratified by age. Demographic variables such as handedness, gender and ethnicity were not significantly related to 1-minute estimation performance. In looking at a comparison between Traumatic Brain Injured (TBI) patients and Normal Controls, there was a significant effect suggesting that the 1-minute estimation is sensitive to cognitive impairment. Further investigation is needed; however, investigation must begin with the availability of adequate norms so that comparisons can be made. This article provides the needed normative data.