ABSTRACT

The present study investigates the relationship among time perception expectancies, the perception of time progression, and the perceived hedonic value of a task in a virtual reality environment. In Experiment 1, we manipulated time expectancies and found that, although perceived time duration is unaffected, the perception of time progression is influenced by expectancies. In Experiment 2, we investigated the effect of external time cues on the hedonic value of the task and found that, when people perceive an accelerated time progression, the task seems more enjoyable. Overall, results indicate that the naïve theory that “time flies when you are having fun” functions both ways, as a heuristic for judging time as running faster while enjoying an event, and enjoying an event more while experiencing an accelerated time progression.

KEYWORDS: time progression, duration judgment, temporal expectancies.

PAGES: 231-241