Psychology Of Time: Why We Experience Time Differently

Sometimes time seems to pass quickly, especially when we are feeling happy. When we’re having fun, time flies. But when we’re not having so much fun, time seems to last forever. Although the passage of time is the same, our perception of time can be very different. The psychology of time goes further and shows us how different perceptions of time can influence our behavior.

The Good Samaritan Experiment

The Good Samaritan experiment gives us an idea of ​​how our perception of time can influence our behavior. In this experiment, some teachers were told to go to another building to give a talk. While some were told they had plenty of time to get there, others were told they were late and people were already waiting for them.

Along the way, they encountered a disheveled-looking person lying on the floor, dressed in rags. Most teachers who were told they had enough time stopped to help. However, most of those who were told to be late walked past him. Ironically (but not coincidentally) the speakers would be giving a talk on the parable of the Good Samaritan!

The conclusion of this was that the people behaved differently because of the time they thought they had. Those in a hurry only thought about the future. They were focused on their apparent late arrival and therefore did not stop to help. In contrast, those who had time to spare were more focused on the present and did stop to help.

Let’s take a look at the psychology of time and learn more about it.

The psychology of time confirms that the perception we have of time influences our behavior.

Different perceptions of time, according to the psychology of time

Based on the findings of the study of the Good Samaritan, two researchers, Philip Zimbardo and John Boyd, delved into studying the psychology of time. Their work culminated with a categorization of the different time perspectives.

According to Zimbardo and Boyd, there are six time perspectives and people tend to focus on one of these perspectives. These are the six perspectives of the psychology of time:

Positive past

People who are more oriented to the ‘positive past’ remember the past with joy. They actively try to remember the past by repeating the memories over and over. They are usually warm, sentimental, friendly and more confident.

As a rule, they are almost never anxious or depressed and tend not to be aggressive. They like music, old movies, family gatherings, meetings and group celebrations. They usually preserve objects from the past that have symbolic value to them.

Negative past

Another type of time perspective is the ‘negative past’. Those who are more focused on this perspective tend to find their past meaningless. They try to get rid of the bad past experiences that they don’t recommend to anyone.

They usually don’t have many friends and the few they have describe them as unhappy, depressed, anxious and rather shy. Sometimes they get so frustrated that they lose control and often break things. They usually don’t exercise or do anything fun. They also find it difficult to control their impulses. That’s why they often get involved in betting.

Hedonistic present

Another perspective of time is the ‘hedonic present’. This type of person is usually more creative and has many friends. They are energetic and love a bit of adventure. When they go to a party, they are the ones who stand out the most and make everyone laugh.

They are the life and soul of the party. Their motto is: “If you like it, do it.”  That’s why they usually don’t last long. They are far too impulsive. They also love to get involved in extreme and dangerous sports.

Fatalistic present

People who tend to fall into the “fatalistic present” category often have low self-esteem. This can often make them depressed and anxious. They always look down and are not very lively. Their motto is “Whatever will happen, will happen.”

Unfortunately, this type of person often gets involved in dangerous practices such as drug use. They think their fate has already been decided and nothing they do will ever change it.

Future

Other people are more oriented towards the ‘future’. They are realists and usually consider decisions between their immediate benefits and future costs. They are able to reject an instant gratification for a greater reward in the future.

These people usually have many acquaintances, but not many friends. They are very concerned about possible consequences and therefore do not like change, surprises or excitement. They always plan everything and make a lot of lists. As a rule, they wear watches and they seem to depend on time for their lives. They are characterized by caution and avoid unnecessary risks.

Far future

Those who are focused on the “distant future” are usually religious. These people believe in life after death, regularly attend religious services and perform rituals for their religion, both privately and publicly. They usually have good control over their impulses. They are not aggressive and worry about the consequences of their actions.

What time perspective are you guided by? The creators of these time perspectives (mentioned above) offer you the chance to find out your perspective by completing a questionnaire on their website. Why don’t you go ahead and fill it in? However, keep in mind that these perspectives can change over time due to various factors in our lives.