Sex-related differences in time estimation: the role of personality

Ambiguous findings on sex-related differences in time estimation may be pri marily caused by two factors: (1) unreliable psychophysical methods for ass essment of timing performance and (2) lack of control for personality trait s that are likely to moderate estimation of time. In the present study, the refore, individual Big-Five personality traits as well as functional and dy sfunctional impulsivity scores were obtained from 25 male and 35 female stu dents. Furthermore, all participants were required to reproduce durations r anging from 1 to 5 s, As indicators of timing performance ratio scores, abs olute error scores and coefficients of variation were determined. Neither o f these psychophysical measures yielded significant differences between the male and female samples. However. stepwise multiple regression analyses re vealed that the personality traits Openness to Experience and Dysfunctional Impulsivity account for 45% of the total variance of individual variabilit y in temporal reproductions in are likely to moderate estimation of time. I n the present study, the male sample, as compared to only 5% in the female sample. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.