Perceptual and Motor Skih, 1975, 4 1 , 235-238.

@ Perceptual and Motor Skills 1975

SUBJECTIVE ACCELERATION OF TIME W I T H AGING'

ROBERT LEMLICH

Summary.-A quantitative theoretical model for the subjective acceleration

of time with aging is presented. I t is based o n a new hypothesis, namely, that
the subjective duration of an interval of real time decreases in mathematical
proportion to total subjective time (rather than total real time). This gives a
differential equation, the variables of which are separated and integrated to yield
the result that the subjective duration of an interval of real time varies inversely
with the square root of the total real time (age). This result was tested by
polling college students and older adults as to their recollections regarding the
relative apparent rate of the passage of time at various ages. Generally good
agreement was obtained between the results of the poll and the results predicted
by the theory.

It is a common observation among people that, as they grow older, the

years seem to pass more quickly. In other words, the subjective [apparent]
duration of an interval of real time (such as a calendar year) usually contracts
with age' (Cohen, 1966, 1967; Fraisse, 1963; Hoagland, 1966).
Since a given interval of real time corresponds to a decreasing fraction of
age as age increases, it has been suggested (Doob, 1971)3 that the subjective
duration of an interval of real time decreases in mathematical proportion to total
real time [age]. However, by definition, it is subjective time that is sensed, not
real time. Therefore, the present writer proposes instead that the subjective dura-
tion of an interval of real time decreases with total subjective time rather than
with total real time.
THEORETICAL
DEVELOPMENT
In mathematical terms, let R be total real time and let S be total subjective
time. Then dR and dS are small intervals of real time and subjective time re-
spectively. Thus, dS is how long dR feels. Accordingly, ds decreases with S
(rather than with R ) . Expressing this as an inverse proportionality yields Eq. 1
for an individual person,

where K is a proportionality constant.

At birth, R and S are both Separating variables in Eq. 1 and inte-
'The author thanks Joel S. W a r m for some suggestions regarding the report.
'Of course, a variety of factors other than age can also affect the sense of time (Wallace
& Rabin, 1 9 6 0 ) .
"Doob (1971) credits Janet ( 1 8 7 7 ) with the original suggestion.
'Of course, one can argue that, in view of prenatal experiences, time should begin before
birth. Alternatively, one can argue that it should begin after birth with the advent of
earliest conscious recollections (Nitardy, 1 9 4 3 ) . However, either way, the difference
wou!d be small in terms of the calculated effect on subjective time in adulthood.
236 R. LEMLICH

grating from birth as the lower limit yields5

JOsSdS = KJORdR
or
S? = 2 K R
Combining Eqs. 1 and 3 gives
-
dS = ( d K / 2 R ) d R
Let us now consider the same real time interval, d R , at two different total real
times [ages], R1 and R2. Substitution in Eq. 4 yields
dS1 = ( d r n l )d R [5 I
and
dS, = ( d K / 2 R 2 ) d R [GI
Dividing Eq. 5 by Eq. 6 gives
-
dSl/dS, = d R z / R I [7 1
Eq. 7 states that for an individual person, the subjective duration of an
interval of real time varies inversely with the square root of total real time (age).
For example, with a person who is say 40 years of age, a typical yearG should
seem to him to go by about twice as fast as it did when he was about 10 yr.
of age, since by Eq. 7, d 4 0 / 1 0 = 2. Naturally, this assumes the absence of
any extended traumatic or unusual experiences chat lnighc cause K in Eq. 1 to
vary appreciably.
The model can be extended further. Lec us say that at death R = R,,
and S = S,,. Substitution in Eq. 3 followed by division into Eq. 3 yields

Thus, according to Eq. 8, a person at age 40 who has say an expectancy of 30 yr.
of life remaining has already lived d 4 0 / 7 0 = 76% of his subjective expecced
total life, as contrasted with 40/70 = 57% of his real expected total life.
However, the unhappy predictions of Eq. 8 are self limiting in that it can be
shown by expanding the square root via the binomial theorem that

Thus, as a person ages, his subjective expected remaining life will not be less
than half his real expecced remaining life.

'If the aforementioned earlier suggestion (cf. Doob, 1971; Janet, 1 8 7 7 ) were followed
- - from
instead, S in rhe right-hand side of Eq.- 1 nrould be replaced with R. Inrenrarinn
zero would then yieid an infinite S.
'Although a year is a finite interval of time, it is small in comparison with age. Accord-
ingly, the use of differentials in the derivation is justified.
 SUBJECTIVE ACCELERATION O F TIME W I T H AGING 237

METHOD
Eq. 7 was tested with a total of 52 Ss at the University of Cincinnati. They comprised
3 1 male undergraduate engineering students of median age 20, and 21 university-employed
adults of median age 44 yr. T h e latter group consisted of 1 1 men ranging in age from
28 to 59 yr.. and 10 women ranging in age from 28 to 57 yr. All Ss were native-born
essentially continuous residents of the U.S.A. None were informed of the theory o r
other aspects of the study.
Each S was asked to estimate how much faster or slower the years seem to go by at
the present time of life compared with when he was approximately one half his present
age and when he was approximately one quarter his present age. T h e students were
queried i n two separate classrooms, 11 students en masse i n one classroom and the re-
maining 20 en masse in the other. They presented their replies in writing. The adults
were queried individually, and their oral responses were recorded.
RESULTSA N D DISCUSSION
Each response was necessarily based on recall. Of the 104 responses (com-
prising 52 regarding half age and 52 regarding quarter age), 1 student response
and 2 male adult responses were nonc~rnmittal.~ Of the remaining 101 responses,
3 reported a subjective slowing down of time, 7 reported no change in subjective
time, and 91 reported a subjective acceleration of time. A very few of these
reported very large subjective accelerations.

TABLE 1
COMPARISONOF EXPERIMENTAL
RESULTSW I THEORETICAL
~ PREDICTIONS
Group Mdn Subjective ratio (presented as
present the median 2 the error') of
age the rate at which time passes at
present age to the recollected
rate of passage at
Quarter age Half age
3 1 students 20 2.020.27 1.8520.21
21 adults 44 2.020.17 1.45-CO.15
All 52 subjects 2.040.26 1.5 &0.21
Prediction from present theory 2.0 1.41
Prediction from previous theory 4.0 2.0
'The indicated error is the nominal 9 5 % confidence interval, which is thrice the half-
range of individual results for those Ss, half the group in number, that fall closest to the
median, divided by the square root of the number of Ss in the group. Noncommittal
responses are excluded from the count.

Results are summarized in Table 1. From the 101 committed responses,

the median value of the subjective ratio of the rate at which time passes at
present age to the rate of passage at quarter age is 2.0 for the students, 2.0 for
the adults, and 2.0 for all Ss. This agrees with the theoretical prediction of 2.0
from Eq. 7.
The median value of che subjective ratio relative to half age is 1.85 for the
'Thus there are equal numbers of committed male and female responses in the adult group.
238 R. LEMLICH

students, 1.45 for the adults, and 1.5 for all Ss. Except for the students, this
compares well with the theoretical prediction of ~3 1.41 from Eq. 7.
In conclusion, the theory developed here predicts that the subjective
duration of an interval of real time varies inversely with the square root of age.
The prediction is generally supported by experimental results. In addition,
these results support, by inference, further development of the theory to en-
compass subjective life expectancy.
REFERENCES
COHEN,J. Subjective time. In J. T. Fraser (Ed.), T h e voices o f time. New York:
Braziller, 1966. Pp. 257-275.
COHHN,J. Psychological time in health and disease. Springfield, 111.: Thomas, 1967.
DOOB,L. W. Patterning o f time. New Haven: Yale Univer. Press, 1971.
FRAISSE,P. T h e psychology o f time. New York: Harper & Row, 1963.
HOAGLAND,
H. Some biochemical considerations of time. In J. T. Fraser ( E d . ) , T h e
voice^ o f time. New York: Braziller, 1966. Pp. 312-329.
JANET,P. Une illusion d'optique interne. Revue philosophique de L France et d e
Petranger, 1877, 3, 497-502.
F. W. Apparent time acceleration with age of the individual. Science, 1943,
NITARDY,
98, 110.
WALLACE,M.,& RABIN,A. I. Temporal experience. Psychological Bulletin, 1960, 57,
213-236.

Accepted May 28. 1975.

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