Yasmin Abuwi¹, Cadence Stolzer², Jenna Pedrick³, Gabriel Conn⁴, Katherine S. Moore⁵; ¹Arcadia university, ²Arcadia university, ³Arcadia University, ⁴Arcadia University, ⁵Arcadia University

Time perception can be distorted by multiple factors. For example, a fast-moving visual stimulus is perceived to last longer than a slow-moving stimulus of the same duration. Moreover, one’s self-construal can distort time perception, with independent (“I” focused) individuals overestimating intervals of moderate (60s) length more often than interdependent (“we” focused) individuals. Here, we examined both effects in a single experiment to examine whether self-construal distorts the magnitude of the speed illusion and to examine whether self-construal has differential effects depending on short (~2s) versus moderately long (~120s) intervals. Participants were first induced to adopt an independent (I) or interdependent (we) self-construal. Next, they performed a time reproduction task involving short (2s) durations paired with fast- or slow-moving stimuli (a visual gabor, or an auditory pulse). Participants also estimated long intervals at checkpoints occurring every 2-3 minutes. We replicated the speed illusion, with fast stimuli appearing to last longer than slow ones in both the visual and auditory domains. Surprisingly, participants were more accurate overall in reproducing intervals in the visual than the auditory task. Participants primed into independent self-construal overestimated short intervals more than did participants primed into an interdependent self-construal, but self-construal did not interact with the magnitude of the speed effect. Moreover, contrary to prior findings, self-construal did not have an impact on bias (over/underestimation) nor precision in time estimates for longer judgments. These findings provide evidence for both personal and stimulus factors that contribute to distortions of time perception, but that self-construal may play a smaller role than previously thought.