tijdverdunning

Tijdverdunning is a concept that describes the subjective experience of time passing more slowly or quickly than usual. It is not a physical phenomenon but rather a psychological one, influenced by various factors. When engaged in an enjoyable or absorbing activity, time can seem to fly by, a phenomenon often referred to as "flow." Conversely, during periods of boredom, anxiety, or waiting, time can feel drawn out and sluggish.

Several cognitive and emotional states contribute to time perception. Attention plays a significant role; when our attention is focused intensely on a task, fewer cognitive resources are available to monitor the passage of time, leading to the perception that time has passed quickly. Conversely, when bored, our attention may drift to the passage of time itself, making it seem slower. Emotional arousal also influences time perception. Intense emotions, such as fear or excitement, can either speed up or slow down the subjective experience of time depending on the context. Memory also contributes to this effect; retrospective judgments of time often depend on how many distinct memories were formed during a period. A period filled with novel experiences might seem longer in retrospect because more memories were created.

The study of time perception, including timeverdunning, is an area within psychology that explores how humans perceive, process, and judge temporal intervals. It investigates the internal mechanisms that create our sense of time's flow and how these can be altered by internal states and external stimuli.