Impact of mood induction on temporal processing

Abstract

The durations of negative events are overestimated when compared to the actual amount of time passed (Langer, et al, 1961; Meck, 1983). Similarly, emotionally valenced faces are temporally overestimated when compared to neutral ones (Droit-Volet, Bruno, & Niedenthal, 2004). In the current study, participants embodied emotion via mood induction prior to temporal estimation of neutrally valenced faces. Valenced mood induction led to overestimation of the duration of neutral faces. Results support the claim that embodiment of emotion can cause subjective temporal distortion.


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