The perception and passage of time during public speaking

Published April 11, 2024 | Version v1

Journal article Open

Several studies have shown that anxious individuals experience a slower passage of time under threat condition-

ing. Anxiety-evoking situations have also been proposed to elevate arousal levels, which, in turn, alter one's time

percept. However, the effect of social stressors on time perception remains significantly neglected. The current

research aimed to investigate the impact of anxiety levels on time estimation and passage of time judgments dur-

ing public speaking in healthy adults. Participants were recruited from a pool of students that had to give a pre-

sentation as part of a university course or their teaching duties. Following the presentation, they were asked to

make retrospective time estimations on the duration of the latter, as well as to provide passage of time judg-

ments. Self-reported questionnaires related to affective states, public speaking anxiety, and performance were

also administered. Analysis showed that higher levels of public speaking anxiety predicted temporal overestima-

tion and slower “feel” duration and passage of time. Moreover, the relationship between public speaking anxiety

and passage of time was mediated by participants' mood states, which remained significant after -indirectly- con-

trolling for fear of evaluation. Overall, our observations suggest that anxiety levels during public presentation

significantly predict altered perception and experience of time. The latter can be explained by the speaker's mood

status. Identifying the mechanisms that modulate timing under psychological stressors could complement our

understanding regarding their impact on educational and social settings, as well as set the ground towards the

development of early intervention and prevention strategies for those who suffer from stress-related disorders.

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