Abstract:

There are two hypotheses concerning the temporal cognition segmentation: One is segmentation hypothesis and the other is non-segmentation hypothesis. The former one holds that the processing mechanism and representation of different length of time are different. The latter one holds that the processing mechanism and representation of different length of time are identical. However, previous studies have indicated that the two kinds of hypotheses are supported by evidence, respectively. In this research, we explored that the temporal cognition segmentation of 1~6 s through two relatively novel ways. In Experiment 1, A total of 44 participants were engaged in a 2 (memory group: High WMC vs. Low WMC) ´ 2 (Modality: Visual vs. Auditory) ´ 6 (sample duration: 1 s, 2 s, 3 s, 4 s, 5 s vs. 6 s) mixed design experiment, to study the temporal cognition segmentation of 1~6 s, by completing time reproduction task. Three-way ANOVAs were performed using standard duration and modality as within subject factors, memory group as a between-subject factor and mean reproduced interval, ratio (of reproduced interval and sample duration) and coefficient of variation as dependent variables. In Experiment 2, 48 participants were engaged in a mixed design experiment. The procedure was identical to that of experiment 1, except that time reproduction task were instead of time production task. The results showed that 1) in experiment 1, significant main effects of sample duration, modality, and memory group, were found, for the mean reproduced interval, the ratio score, and the coefficient of variation. Specifically, high WMC compared with low WMC, long duration with short duration and auditory with visual, the mean reproduced interval was longer, the ratio score higher and the coefficient of variation smaller. Furthermore, there was a significant interaction between duration and modality, and between duration and memory group for the mean reproduced interval, the ratio score, and the coefficient of variation. For 1 s and 2 s, for the mean reproduced interval, the ratio score, and the coefficient of variation, there was no difference between the high WMC group and the low WMC group, or visual group and auditory group. For 3 s, 4 s, 5 s and 6 s, the mean reproduced interval of the high WMC group was significantly longer, the ratio score was significant higher, and the coefficient of variation was significant smaller than those of the low WMC group. For 3 s, 4 s, 5 s and 6 s, the mean reproduced interval of the auditory group was significantly longer, the ratio score was significant higher, and the coefficient of variation was significant smaller than those of the visual group. 2) in experiment 2, significant main effects of sample duration, modality, and memory group, were found, for the mean produced interval, the ratio score, and the coefficient of variation. Specifically, high WMC compared with low WMC, long duration with short duration and auditory with visual, the mean produced interval was shorter, the ratio score lower and the coefficient of variation smaller. Furthermore, there was a significant interaction between duration and modality, and between duration and memory group for the mean produced interval, the ratio score, and the coefficient of variation. For 1 s and 2 s, for the mean produced interval, the ratio score, and the coefficient of variation, there was no difference between the high WMC group and the low WMC group, or visual group and auditory group. For 3 s, 4 s, 5 s and 6 s, the mean produced interval of the high WMC group was significantly shorter, the ratio score was significant lower, and the coefficient of variation was significant smaller than those of the low WMC group. For 3 s, 4 s, 5 s and 6 s, the mean produced interval of the auditory group was significantly shorter, the ratio score was significant lower, and the coefficient of variation was significant smaller than those of the visual group. The results demonstrated that the temporal cognition of 1 to 6 seconds is segmented, and the critical point may be 2~3 s, which support segmentation hypothesis. The segmentation of temporal cognition can also be explained by the time working memory hypothesis, which is the form of temporal cognition segmentation model explaining the cognitive mechanism of short-duration processing.

Key words: segmentation, working memory capacity, modality, temporal working memory, range-synthetic model of temporal cognition