Processing of time - Processing time: Temporal invariants and oscillatory mechanisms in perception and memory

In 1864, the German biologist von Baer advanced the idea of a psychological moment defined as the smallest unit of mental time. In our century, buildi ng upon this notion, Brecher (1932) suggested for it a duration of 55.5 mse c from threshold measurements in tactile vibration which practically showed no dependence on receptor density and no individual variation. Von Bekesy (1936), referring to Brecher, demonstrated for low frequency sound a cascad e of discontinuities to exist regularly spaced around this value. Later sim ilar quantal structures were found within other paradigms. In a series of p apers (cf. Geissler, 1987, 1992) we have shown that approaches (e.g. of Str outi, 1956) assuming merely one reference period corresponding to one centr al pacemaker to which other periods are harmonically related must be invali d. Instead, to account for general patterns of results a temporal range arc hitecture is to be assumed. Temporal ranges according to the proposed taxon omic quantum approach, TQM, are simultaneously subject to three fundamental constraints: (1) Any periods within a given range R-q are integer multiple s N of a shortest period T-q characteristic of it; (2) there is an integer multiple M = 30 of T-q representing the upper bound of periods included in a range, and (3) any shortest period within a given range is an integer mul tiple of an absolutely shortest period TQ(0) relevant in cognition of about 4.5 msec duration, the "time quantum". For the smallest of the assumed ran ges R-1 and R-2 extending up to about 30 x 4.5 = 135 msec and 30 x 9 = 270 msec, respectively, these claims were corroborated in experiments. Supporti ng evidence from other researchers and paradigms is presented. We assert th at the basic constants of TQM are related to psychophysical invariance prop erties as discovered by Teghtsoonian (1971). Tn a brief outline of a physio logical interpretation of the TQM approach we suggest a fairly direct corre spondence between ranges of behaviorally determined periods and bands in wh ich the: relevant portions of EEG activity are organized in a way compatibl e with classical band definitions.