The Influence of Anxiety and Depression on Time Perception: A Cognitive and Affective Perspective

Abstract

Objective: Anxiety and depression are prevalent mental health conditions associated with disruptions in cognitive processes, including time perception. Guided by Arousal Level Theory, this study examined how anxiety and de- pressive symptoms, along with physiological arousal (heart rate), relate to subjective time perception. Method: A sample of 45 graduate students completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), underwent heart rate measurement, and performed time production tasks (10- , 30-, and 60-second intervals). Results: Contrary to predictions derived from arousal-based models, depressive symptoms were associated with greater time underestimation (p = .019), suggesting a faster internal clock. Anxiety showed a mar- ginal association (p = .055), and heart rate was not significantly related to time perception. Conclusions: These findings suggest that arousal-based explanations alone may be insufficient to account for time perception distor- tions in depression. Instead, cognitive and affective processes, such as rumination and attentional rigidity, may play a more central role. Findings should be interpreted cautiously, given the correlational design and limitations of the mood induction procedure.