Time : exploring the influence of age on subjective time perception through data visualisation

Abstract

The experience of time is widely believed to increase with age. This study will thus explore the nature of subjective time perception over the course of life in order to test the relevance of such a statement. An analysis of factors that distort or influence a person’s subjective experience of time will be provided in chapter two. In addition, an emphasis will be placed on the role of novelty in life being that several empirical studies have indicated that new experiences will in retrospect expand time. Through a combination of qualitative and quantitative research, data was collected from a local sample of 141 participants. Research showed that an increased perception of time is connected to a fast and busy pace of living and due to routine. The final artwork will focus on transferring theoretical research and first hand data into a visual that communicates the nature of subjective time (i.e. how time can expand or contract). The work aspires to broaden and challenge a viewer’s subjective perception by outlining that mind time can be altered in favor of the person experiencing an accelerated flow of life.