Synonyms
Definition
Interval timing refers to perception and behavioral control with respect to time in the seconds to minutes range.
Introduction
Adapting behavior to the temporal relationships that occur in the environment is critical for survival and requires both perception and behavioral control with respect to time. The perception of time without an external aid, such as a clock, is a capacity that is so inherent that it is often overlooked. We can easily conclude that a stoplight is broken because we sense that we have been sitting at the light for longer than is typical. But how is this temporal sense and behavioral control manifest? Modalities such as vision, audition, and olfaction are processed through dedicated sensory structures that are impacted by different forms of energy, in the form of light, sound waves, or volatile particles to influence perception. In contrast, time perception does not result from measuring change in one specific form of external...
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Matell, M.S., McGovern, D.J. (2018). Interval Timing. In: Vonk, J., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_789-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_789-1
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