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Time perception

When randomization hurts

Nature Reviews Psychology volume 2, page 131 (2023)Cite this article

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I have always been fascinated by people’s ability to estimate how long things take. Most tasks that people face, from driving to playing tennis, require precise estimates of duration. However, these estimates are subject to various biases. For instance, people tend to overestimate short durations and underestimate long durations. This effect, known as Vierordt’s law, has been extensively documented since its discovery by Karl von Vierordt in 1868. However, I struggled to find a mechanistic explanation for this effect.

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References

Original article

  • Glasauer, S. & Shi, Z. The origin of Vierordt’s law: the experimental protocol matters. PsyCH J. 10, 732–741 (2021)

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Related articles

  • Vierordt, K. Der Zeitsinn nach Versuchen (H. Laupp’sche Buchhandlung, 1868)

  • Glasauer, S. & Shi, Z. Individual beliefs about temporary continuity explain variation of perceptual biases. Sci. Rep. 12, 10746 (2022)

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Guillot, A. et al. Understanding the timing of motor imagery: recent findings and future directions. Intl Rev. Sport Exerc. Psychol. 5, 3–22 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LPC, Marseille, France

    Ladislas Nalborczyk

  2. Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LNC, Marseille, France

    Ladislas Nalborczyk

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  1. Ladislas Nalborczyk
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Correspondence to Ladislas Nalborczyk.

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Nalborczyk, L. When randomization hurts. Nat Rev Psychol 2, 131 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-023-00155-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-023-00155-2

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