BODY-TEMPERATURE INFLUENCE ON TIME PERCEPTION

The chemical clock hypothesis implies a causal link between body tempe rature and the perception of duration. A strict interpretation of this construct requires a common slope value in an Arrhenius plot that rel ates time to temperature for every individual tested. Previous studies testing this proposition have confirmed a general relationship for da ta summed across multiple subjects. However, the same studies raise do ubts as to whether this relationship holds for each and every individu al tested. Unfortunately, these investigations have been limited by me thodological constraints, thus, one could argue that the strong isomor phism intrinsic to the chemical clock hypothesis has yet to be fairly tested. In the present experiment, I sought to distinguish the effects of selective head temperature changes on the estimation of duration. Nonlinear decreases in estimated duration were observed with ascending deep auditory canal temperature. These findings support the contentio n of a thermally stable region of temporal perception bounded by condi tions in which temporal estimates directly depend on body temperature. In contradicting physiological adequacy as an explanatory construct, the present results suggest a direct relationship between time percept ion and the homeothermic platform. I compare these results with earlie r findings concerning the chemical clock concept and examine respectiv e discrepancies as a basis for a fuller understanding of a temporal ph enomenon that is frequently referred to as the internal clock.