Researchers Examine How We Experience Time, Cardiff University Study

Dr Marc Buehner of the School of Psychology examined how causal belief – understanding that one thing leads to another (for example flicking a switch and a light coming on) – influences time perception. As part of the research, participants were asked to predict when a light would flash. In one part of the study, the target flash was preceded by a signal light; in two further parts, participants either pressed a button to make the light flash, or a separate machine pressed the button to make the light flash.