Time Perception as a Function of Locus of Control

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Abstract
The present study investigated the joint effects of locus of control (as measured by Rotter's IE scale) and external cues on subjects' estimation of time passage, using (counterbalanced) 15, 30, 45, and 55-second intervals. Forty-four volunteer subjects were employed in a mixed factorial design with two levels of locus of control (Internal/External), with repeated measures on four blocks of time intervals, and on two levels of cues (cue/no cue). Cues were presented ten seconds before the end of each time interval. It was hypothesized that internals would estimate the time intervals more accurately than would externals, when cues were present, while externals' estimates of time were expected to correspond to the cues. Results confirmed the predicted (Locus of Control x Cue) interaction (p <.001). The findings imply that the internal's conception of time is more dynamic and autonomous than is the external's.