Sensed Duration of Time: Influence of Time as a Barrier

Abstract

This study examined the hypothesis that duration of time seems longer in situations in which time represents a barrier to a desired goal. 16 male and 20 female undergraduate students, randomly assigned to experimental and control conditions, were told that they would participate in a brief experiment. In the control condition the students were told that an assistant would arrive shortly with the questionnaires needed to begin. In the experimental condition, the experimenter appeared mildly frustrated and the students were told that the assistant was overdue. In both cases, the assistant arrived in 5 min., and the students were asked to estimate how long they had waited. Those in die experimental condition made significantly longer mean estimations than controls.