Distorted Temporal Representation in the Bodily Space

A precise spatial representation is important to interact efficiently with objects in the environment at the appropriate moment in time. An efficient spatial representation of the space near the body is all the more important because a dangerous object nearby may have to be acted upon appropriately and on-time, to prevent harm or injuries to the body. Therefore, temporal information seems integrated with spatial information. However, the temporal factors underlying the body-centric spatial prioritisation effects have largely been ignored.

This presentation will give behavioural evidence of temporal dilation for stimuli presented near the hands for various stimulus types, such as those with high emotional salience and high affordance. Results from experimental paradigms such as the temporal bisection task and the verbal estimation task will be presented, and the findings explained within the framework of the time perception models, such as the Internal Clock Model and the Attentional Gate Model.