The effects of physical work, mental work, and quantity on children’s time perception

An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of work and quantity cues on children’s time perception. Ninety-seven children in kindergarten and Grades 2, 4, and 6 lifted and transferred pipes under eight different conditions, after which they reproduced the perceived time taken to move the pipes. The conditions varied by quantity (two/four pipes), by mental work (nomatching/matching), and by physical work (light/heavy pipes). Significant main effects were found for quantity, physical work, and mental work, and for the quantity × age and mental work × physical work interactions. These results can help to disentangle possible confounds among these variables in the classic Piagetian experiments about their effects on time judgment and perception.

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