Time Perception and Dysfunction: Clinical and Practical Implications

Book excerpt: Processing time requires a complex set of abilities that dictates how one adapts to the environment. Timing is key in how we communicate, organize our space and understand the world. When timing is intact, it often exists below one's conscious awareness, but when one's ability to process time is disrupted, the effects are noticeable and widespread. To better understand the construct of temporal dysfunction, one has to examine the concept of timing from multiple angles. An integrative approach is required to understand the possible biological, cognitive and psychological etiologies of temporal dysfunction. In addition, expertise in language, measurement and psychopathology are necessary to comprehend how timing affects one's representation of the world. This Research Topic is dedicated to examining timing and temporal dysfunction across a variety of tasks and disorders. Specifically, we seek to understand the most basic types of timing dysfunction and how they may affect a wide range of behaviors and symptoms as well as higher levels of temporal deficits involved in how one perceives the time spent. This Research Topic represents the intersection of medicine, psychology, cognition and perception in a unified attempt to shed light on temporal processing. The collection of original research articles and case studies, highlighting novel methodologies and interventions, illustrates the complexity of timing dysfunction and how understanding these deficits helps us to get a fresh look at a wide range of clinical psychopathologies and to develop better interventions.