Developmental changes in human duration judgments: A meta-analytic review

We reviewed 20 experiments comparing duration judgments made by children ve rsus adolescents and adults. All used a prospective paradigm, in which part icipants knew they would have to make duration judgments. Meta-analyses rev ealed substantial age-related differences: Compared to older participants, children make larger verbal estimates, comparable productions, and shorter reproductions of duration. Children's duration judgments also show greater interindividual variability. We discuss physiological hypotheses concerning pacemaker rate and temperature or metabolic rate, along with cognitive hyp otheses concerning duration units, memory processes, attentional resources, and impatience and waiting. At least two explanations are needed: Children have not yet accurately learned verbal labels for duration experiences, an d they are impatient during relatively empty durations. Both can be interpr eted in terms of an attentional-gate model, (C) 1999 Academic Press.