ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at some of the origins of what might be called time-stress; underlying relationships among temporal regulation and temporal cognition; and their separate and combined effects on and responses to stress. While there is much about the passage and regularity of time that is beneficial – the synchronicity of a symphony, the faithfulness of the Paris Metro schedule, the precision of a space launch all depend upon it – less positive effects may accrue as well. Time stress affects the harried executive, the anxious college applicant, the expectant mother, and not the least, our military servicemen and women. And, of course, the broader aspect of time holds its own fascination:
We consider three levels of temporal factors: biologically-driven time exemplified by circadian rhythm effects; psychologically-driven time as experienced both cognitively and via the timing of motor actions; and clock-driven time typified by performing tasks under external, systemorchestrated time pressure (see the illustration in Figure 8.1). The discussion in this chapter will progress from an exploration of temporal factors, which can variably constrain and direct fundamental phenomena including our biological clocks and effects of their disruption, to a review of the diverse, current thinking about the psychology of temporal cognition as a function of stressors and of its role as a stressor itself. Evidence is offered showing that it takes cognitive effort to balance a schedule or maintain a set rhythm; it is this seeking of homeostasis that is often defined as the effect of stress. Current timekeeper models are presented along with computational approaches for understanding temporal cognition. Finally, the chapter will conclude with some observations on designing systems with temporal cognition in mind including suggestions of ways to mitigate the mental workload required to perform temporal cognitive tasks in both humanmachine and human-human interaction.
