TIME ESTIMATION: A FUNCTION OF JUDGED PLEASANTNESS AUDITORY COMPLEXITY AND MUSICAL SOPHISTICATION OF THE SUBJECT

The time perception literature reflects two, indeed, opposing views. Ornstein (1969) proposes that remembered time increases (monotonically) with increasing complexity of memory code. Memory code is normally a simple increasing function of stimulus complexity. Priestly (1964, 1968), however, hypothesizes that remembered time decreases (monotonically) with increasing stimulus complexity.;The Coons (1980) Affective Discrepancy from Neutrality Theory predicts that estimated time will increase (monotonically) with increasing Affective Discrepancy of the stimulus from neutrality, i.e., the more affect associated with a stimulus, whether pleasant or unpleasant, the longer the stimulus is judged to have taken.;Duration Estimates, Pleasantness and Discrepancy Ratings were obtained of college students and professional musicians while listening to tone sequences of increasing complexity sounding rather like electronic music. A Questionnaire placed students in 1 of 3 levels of musical sophistication.;Results yielded several significant findings. Mean Duration Estimates were found to be a U-shaped function of stimulus sequence complexity--a finding difficult for both the Ornstein and the Priestly hypotheses to account for.;In the present thesis, two additional new theories of time perception are proposed. The Vitz (1980) Affect Theory predicts that estimated time will increase (monotonically) with the increasing negative affect of the stimulus.;The curvilinear data can be easily handled by the Vitz and Coons hypotheses.;There is evidence for qualitatively different types of responders--simple affect subjects (Vitz) and complex affect subjects (Coons), also resulting in a U-shaped duration function of stimulus complexity.;Correlational data and factor analyses revealed further evidence for the 2 types of responders. The Pro Vitz subjects factor (hours of listening, performance) were mostly found in the Low Music Group. The Pro Coons Group loaded on private lessons and were found mostly in the Medium or High Music Group.;Finally, there is also evidence in the mean time estimates for the distinction between affect oriented and non-affect oriented types of Ss.