Measuring the Representation of 1-Second Through a Temporal Generalization Task with Repetitive Stimulus

People retrieve the duration of a 1-second interval from long-term memory to measure supra-second intervals. Although some studies assert that the long-term representation of 1-s (hereafter L1S) is unreliable, the timing literature also indicates a significant correlation between the peak alpha frequency, a stable biomarker, and the precision of the L1S. The present study compared the L1S in time generalization tasks involving different structures. Results revealed that stimulus repetition yielded higher temporal precision, albeit with more overestimation. The precision of the L1S remained stable over two successive days while its accuracy changed systematically. In addition, participants exhibited greater precision when retrieving 1-s from long-term memory (i.e., the L1S) than short-term memory (i.e., the S1S). We propose that the precision of L1S (rather than S1S) could be an individual trait. Additionally, we suggest that L1S (~ 1200 ms) could be the boundary (turning point) between sub- and supra-second time perception. These suggestions provide new perspectives and potential for future research in human timing behavior.