Memory encoding for new information, not autobiographical memory load, is linked with age-related differences in subjective time passage over the past decade.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional observational study (design analogy for non-clinical cognitive psychology)
PubMed 41944971 · doi:10.3758/s13421-026-01879-1
What was done
The study examined factors associated with age-related differences in subjective time perception. A total of 120 participants aged 20–91 years were assessed on subjective time passage for the preceding decade and year, the quantity and significance of autobiographical memories from those intervals, and overall cognitive status including delayed memory recall.
What was found
The abstract reports directional findings without numeric values, exact test statistics, or effect sizes. Older age was associated with faster perceived time passage over the past decade. Perceived time passage over the past decade showed no significant association with the number or subjective value of autobiographical memories. Instead, lower cognitive functioning, specifically reduced ability to encode novel memories on delayed recall, was significantly linked to faster time perception with older age.
Why it matters
This study indicates that subjective time compression in older adults relates to reduced capacity to encode novel memories rather than a depletion of meaningful autobiographical recollections.
Limits
The study is cross-sectional, precluding causal conclusions. The abstract reports no exact numerical data, p-values, or effect sizes. The sample size is modest (n = 120) across a wide age range (20–91 years), and retrospective subjective estimates of time passage are prone to recall bias.
Cited by
- supports The subjective perception that time passes more quickly with advancing age is caused by a reduction in novel experiences and lower density of newly encoded memories.