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Abstract

This study was designed to assess the effects of specific types of mental arithmetic on subjects' estimates of how long they worked on the problems. It was hypothesized that the more demanding problems would produce the greatest underestimates of duration of work. The factorial design included types of task (1 digit × 1 digit and 2 digit × 1 digit), levels of difficulty (easy and hard, defined in terms of size of multiplier), and work periods of 8, 12, 16, and 20 sec. An empty reproduction paradigm was employed; results indicated only partial support for the hypothesis in that the 2 digit × 1 digit easy problems produced maximal underestimates of work periods. Results are interpreted in terms of response strategies and attentional hypotheses.

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Temporal Estimates as a Function of Difficulty of Mental Arithmetic

Abstract

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