Abstract
Subjective time perception depends on a number of factors such as the number or speed of moving elements in a visual scene. These factors not only influence the timing but can also modulate the emotional state (e.g., arousal) of the agent carrying out a given task, which itself can influence time perception. For example, changes in a visual scene (e.g., number of moving elements) could increase the arousal which would then result in time expansion. It is often unclear how far stimulus variables directly affect time perception or through mediator variables such as emotional states. Here, therefore, we tested, in a complex, real-life setting, how timing changes as a function of number and speed of elements in a scene are correlated with changes in arousal and valence. In robot-swarm scenarios with real robots, we varied swarm speed (fast or slow) and robot number (1, 5, or 15 robots) in a between-subjects design. In each scenario, robot-swarms performed a random walk, while participants observed and controlled to keep them within a marked arena via button presses that changed the robot’s trajectories. Participants had to supervise the swarm for three minutes; afterwards we measured perceived duration, the passage of time, and emotional responses (arousal, valence). Overall, perceived duration was longer with more robots, and time passed faster both with more and faster robots. Further, more and faster robots yielded higher arousal. When correlating the individual responses, arousal and valence were positively related with the passage of time, but not with time estimation measures. Our results extend previous laboratory-confined findings on the influences of speed and number of elements on time perception to more ecologically valid robot swarm scenarios. Furthermore, the correlational results are consistent with the notion that arousal and valence moderate between stimulus variables and passage of time judgments.