Effect of Response Instructions on the Perceived Duration of Briefly Exposed Words

Summary Subjects were required to estimate the perceived duration of words varying in frequency and length when (unbeknown to Ss) the stimuli were shown at a fixed exposure of one second. Subjects in one group estimated duration and spelled out the stimuli; in a second group estimated duration only; in a third group estimated duration and spelled out the stimuli having previously seen the stimuli. No effects due to frequency and length were observed, but Ss who were required to estimate duration only showed significantly longer estimates than Ss who were required to write and guess the identification of stimuli.