Memory encoding for new information, not autobiographical memory load, predicts age-related acceleration in subjective time passage over the last decade

The widely replicated finding that the perceived speed of time passage over the past decade increases with chronological age was the focus of this study. We investigated potential mechanisms underlying this effect, examining the role of autobiographical memory and cognitive functioning. 120 individuals aged 20-91 were assessed on subjective time perception for the preceding decade and year, the quantity and significance of autobiographical memories from those periods, and overall cognitive status. Results confirmed the specific age-related increase in perceived temporal acceleration over the past decade. However, no significant association was found between perceived time passage over the past decade and either the number or subjective value of memories. Contrary to assumptions, older adults reported more vivid and meaningful recollections. Instead, reduced cognitive functioning, and specifically lower ability to form new memories as assessed through delayed memory recall, emerged as a significant mediator of accelerated time perception with age. Findings suggest that age-related cognitive decline leading to reduced ability to encode novel memories, rather than diminished autobiographical memory content, is a critical factor in the subjective experience of time compression in older adults.