Temporal reproduction: Further evidence for two processes

Some authors have suggested separate mechanisms for the processing of temporal intervals above versus below 2–3 s. Given that the evidence is mixed, the present experiment was carried out as a critical test of the separate-mechanism hypothesis. Subjects reproduced five standard durations of 1–5 s presented in the auditory and visual modalities. The Corsi-block test was used to assess effects of working-memory span on different interval lengths. Greater working-memory span was associated with longer reproductions of intervals of 3–5 s. A factor analysis run on mean reproduced intervals revealed one modality-unspecific factor for durations of 1–2 s and two modality-specific factors for longer intervals. These results are interpreted as further indications that two different processes underlie temporal reproductions of shorter and longer intervals.