Wundt Clock Paradigm
Background
The Wundt Clock Paradigm is an experimental method for subjective time estimations of voluntary and involuntary events. The paradigm is named after Wilhelm Wundt who first published it in 1862.
A typical Wundt Clock presents a clock-type face stimulus and a fast rotating clock hand. The hand moves around the clock fast at a constant speed when certain events occur, and participants are asked to report the hand position on the clock location that corresponds to the event onset.
The Wundt Clock paradigm, or a modern, computerized version of it, was used by Patrick Haggard and colleagues in 2002 to demonstrate that when a voluntary action (like a button press) results in an external sensory event (like a tone), the brain "binds" the two together in time, making them feel closer than they truly are. This subjective compression of time became known as the 'intentional binding effect'.
Task Procedure
Participants are presented with a circle consisting of 60 black dots (the 'clock'). After a time delay, a red dot (the 'clock hand') randomly appears in one of the dot positions and circles around at constant speed (default: 3s for one rotation). Each participants works through four experimental conditions. Depending on the experimental condition, participants are asked to press the spacebar at a time of their choosing (voluntary action) and/or wait for a beep (involuntary action).
Baseline-Action: Once the clock hand (the red dot) starts moving, press the spacebar at a time of your choosing. The clock hand keeps on moving for a little while longer afterwards. Participants are asked to select the position on the clock that the clock hand was one when they pressed the spacebar.
Baseline-Tone: Once the clock hand (the red dot) starts moving, wait for a tone. The clock hand keeps on moving for a little while longer afterwards. Participants are asked to select the position on the clock that the clock hand was one when they heard the beep.
Agency-Action: Once the clock hand (the red dot) starts moving, press the spacebar at a time of your choosing. The clock hand keeps moving and a beep is played 250ms after the spacebar press. The clock hand keeps on moving for a little while longer afterwards. Participants are asked to select the position on the clock that the clock hand was one when they pressed the spacebar.
Agency-Tone: Once the clock hand (the red dot) starts moving, press the spacebar at a time of your choosing. The clock hand keeps moving and a beep is played 250ms after the spacebar press. The clock hand keeps on moving for a little while longer afterwards. Participants are asked to select the position on the clock that the clock hand was one when they heard the beep.
Participants work through 2 practice trials to familiarize them with the procedure. The order of the four experimental conditions is randomly determined and each block runs 15 trials.
What it Measures
The Wundt Clock Paradigm is a measure for time estimations of voluntary and involuntary events.
Psychological domains
- Time Estimation: How we estimate the duration and timing of events
- Sense of Agency: Using "intentional binding" to quantify how much control a person feels over their actions
Main Performance Metrics
- Judgment Errors: position judgment errors (in ms) in each condition, measure of time estimations
- Binding Scores: difference in judgment errors btw. baseline and their corresponding agency condition
Psychiatric Conditions
The following patient groups tend to show atypical results in binding scores (either stronger or weaker scores)
- Schizophrenia
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Parkinson’s Disease
A measure of time estimation for voluntary and involuntary events modeled after Haggard et al (2002).
References
Search Google Scholar for peer-reviewed, published research using the Inquisit Wundt Clock Paradigm.
Haggard, P., Clark, S., & Kalogeras, J. (2002). Voluntary action and conscious awareness. Nature Neuroscience, 5(4), 382–385.
Demanet J.,Muhle-Karbe P.S., Lynn M.T., Blotenberg I., Brass M. (2013) . Power to the will: How exerting physical effort boosts the senseof agency. Cognition, 129, 574–578.