Symmetry Lasts Longer Than Random, but Only for Brief Presentations

Ogden, Ruth, Makin, Alexis DJ ORCID: 0000-0002-4490-7400, Palumbo, Letizia and Bertamini, Marco ORCID: 0000-0001-8617-6864 (2016) Symmetry Lasts Longer Than Random, but Only for Brief Presentations I-PERCEPTION, 7 (6). 2041669516676824-. ISSN 2041-6695, 2041-6695

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Abstract

Previous research has shown that explicit emotional content or physical image properties (e.g., luminance, size, and numerosity) alter subjective duration. Palumbo recently demonstrated that the presence or absence of abstract reflectional symmetry also influenced subjective duration. Here, we explored this phenomenon further by varying the type of symmetry (reflection or rotation) and the objective duration of stimulus presentation (less or more than 1 second). Experiment 1 used a verbal estimation task in which participants estimated the presentation duration of reflection, rotation symmetry, or random square-field patterns. Longer estimates were given for reflectional symmetry images than rotation or random, but only when the image was presented for less than 1 second. There was no difference between rotation and random. These findings were confirmed by a second experiment using a paired-comparison task. This temporal distortion could be because reflection has positive valence or because it is processed efficiently be the visual system. The mechanism remains to be determined. We are relatively sure, however, that reflectional patterns can increase subjective duration in the absence of explicit semantic content, and in the absence of changes in the size, luminance, or numerosity in the images.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	symmetry, time, subjective duration, internal clock, arousal
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	02 Dec 2016 11:12
Last Modified:	23 May 2026 00:34
DOI:	10.1177/2041669516676824
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3004733
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