Mindfulness and Time Perception (2014)

Undergraduates: Aya Avishai-Yitshak, Carrie Adair

Faculty Advisor: Barbara Fredrickson
Department: Psychology & Neuroscience

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Prior research has found that mindfulness and attention are positively correlated, as are attention and time perception (Ruocco & Direkoglu, 2013; Mioni, Mattalia, & Stablum, 2013; Mullins, Bellgrove, Gill, & Robertson, 2005). A previous study also found that the measure of ¿now¿ is longer for meditators than non-meditators (Sauer, Lemke, Wittmann, Kohls, Mochty, & Walach, 2012). The direct relationship between mindfulness and time perception was examined in the present study in order to find whether increased mindfulness is related to a longer and more accurate perception of time. Seventy undergraduate students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill engaged in time perception tasks and self-reports of time perception and mindfulness. A positive relationship was found between trait mindfulness and self-reported time affluence that indicated that people higher in mindfulness felt ¿wealthier¿ in time. Additionally, a positive trend was found between one time perception behavioral task and state mindfulness. As state mindfulness increased, Weighted Average Production times also increased. Findings supported a hypothesis that greater mindfulness is linked with more time affluence, and perhaps a longer perception of time, as well.