Time estimation in young children: Effects of response type and familiarity

The present study tested the effect of a familiar context on 3- and 5 1/2-y ear-olds' ability to produce a target duration (5 s), in 30 discrete trials , with two types of responses: (a) response durations and (b) temporal inte rvals. In the familiar context, the subject's production of duration was ac counted for by the doll's behavior (getting dressed). In the unfamiliar con text, the production of duration was decontextualized, as in arbitrary labo ratory situations. Children produced longer and less variable durations in the familiar than in the unfamiliar context. However, only the 5 1/2-year-o lds succeeded in producing accurate durations in the familiar context. The children's timing accuracy was not better with either type of response. Con trary to our predictions, durations were shorter and more variable with dur ation responses than with interval responses. The results are discussed in the framework of a dissociation between 3-year-olds' knowledge about durati on and 5 1/2-year-olds concept of time.