Reliability of Time Estimates

Recent interest in time estimation as a function related to personality (1) is based on the assumption that individuals are consistent in their estimation of time, i. e., that time estimates are reliable. It seems important to determine under what conditions this assumption is justified. In this study the reliability of time estimates is assessed for several time intervals ranging from 15 sec. to 240 sec. METHOD 55 Ss from sections of a beginning psychology course were tested in a group situation. They estimated 5 different time intervals: 15, 30, 60, 120, and 240 sec. Each interval was defined as the time between rhe sounding of a click and the word stop, spoken by E. Ss wrote estimates (in minutes and seconds) on a card after each interval. They were instructed to make the estimate on the basis of how much time they felt had elapsed. There were two sessions, a week apart. During each session Ss made a series of estimates of intervals in the follon.ing order: 30, GO, 120, 15, and 240 sec. This series was then repeated immediately wirhout Ss being aware of two distinct series. Thus during each session Ss made nvo estimates of each time interval, one in each series.