Critical Analysis of the Problem of Time-Error

Abstract

This paper suggests that the constant error which sometimes occurs when two stimuli are judged in succession, the so-called “time-error,” may not be either a unitary phenomenon found in all sense modalities or a consistent finding. A review of some of this literature shows that there are many variables which presumably may affect the magnitude and direction of the time-error. These include: time between standard and variable, interpolated stimuli, background factors, method of presenting and removing the stimuli, psychophysical method used, number of categories of judgment used, and S‘s personality. At the present time the data are so inconsistent that no one theory can account adequately for all the findings. Much more research of a functional nature is needed to clarify the problem of time-error.