Spatial Depth Cues in Temporal Reasoning
Date
2012-05
Authors
Frangeskou, Athena
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Abstract
Space is a foundational schema for reasoning about time and as a result time is conceptualized in terms of spatial reality. The ego-moving cognitive metaphor suggests that time is static and immobile and the self moves through it. Conversely, the time-moving cognitive metaphor suggests time moves through a stationary being and is not subject to manipulation from the observer. The present study examined the relationship between the two temporal orientations and spatial depth cues. Four depth cues were tested: relative size, atmospheric disturbance, object occlusion and linear perspective. Participants were primed by reading temporal sentences imbued with either ego-moving or time-moving characteristics. Participants then viewed images containing the depth cues and answered questions regarding time. After this, they answered eight temporal questions and completed the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory survey. There was a marginal main effect of priming condition indicating that there was a tendency for people to take a higher proportion of ego-moving responses in the ego-moving condition. The proportion of responses varied as a function of the cue that was viewed. There was a significant tendency for people to give a time-moving response orientation to the atmospheric disturbance depth cue and a tendency for people to give an ego-moving orientation to the linear perspective depth cue across the two conditions. There were no significant correlations between the ZTPI and any of the depth cues or conditions. These results suggest that the temporal perceptions of time in relation to depth cues are distinct from linear perceptions of time.
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Keywords
space, abstraction, concept, ego, motion, eepth cue, metaphor, schema, construct, context, time, Honors College
Citation
Frangeskou, A. (2012). Spatial depth cues in temporal reasoning (Unpublished thesis). Texas State University-San Marcos, San Marcos, Texas.