1. Sarah Williams Anne Wilson Wilfrid Laurier University
Wrinkles in Time: The Relative Roles of Objective and Subjective Time in Current Emotional Response to Past Events

3. Did you think we'd be fine
Did you think we'd be fine? Still got scars on my back from your knife So don't think it's in the past, these kind of wounds they last and they last Now did you think it all through? All these things will catch up to you And time can heal but this won't, so if you're coming my way, just don't

4. “Objective” Time

5. Subjective Time
The “sense of how close or far [events] are from the present, immediately experienced self” (Van Boven and Caruso, 2015)

6. Objective and Subjective Time
Given more objective distance:
Individuals are more likely to forgive a transgression (Wohl & McGrath, 2007)
Individuals are less likely to endorse revenge or avoidance after a personal transgression (McCullough, Fincham, and Tsang, 2003)
Given more subjective distance:
Individuals judge events as less important to their present-day relationship (Cortes, Leith, and Wilson, in prep)

7. Which kind of time “heals all wounds”?
…we don’t know!
Three possibilities:
Objective time “heals”, subjective time does not
Objective and subjective time measure the same thing, and will be equally important
Subjective time matters above and beyond objective time

8. Roadmap Study 1: Breakups Study 2: Interpersonal Transgressions
Study 3: Personal Failures

9. Study 1: Breakups 115 student participants
At least 2 breakups in romantic history
82.6% female
M age = 19.3

10. Study 1: Breakups
“Now we would like you to think about your first [most recent] romantic break-up. Think about the events that transpired, words that were said, and your emotions at the time. 
Sometimes events tend to feel closer or further away, regardless of how long ago it actually occurred.  Think about the event that you described for this study. Place the slider at the point that best indicates how long ago that event feels to you.
Feels very close
Feels very far away

11. Study 1: Breakups Present and future feelings
How upset are you about this breakup at present (in one year)?
Present and future importance
How important is this breakup to you at present (in one year)?

12. Objective and Subjective Time
Objective time – most recent breakup is closer
Most recent breakup: Mean = 17.7 months (SD = 15.0 months)
First breakup: Mean = 38.3 months (SD = 24.0 months)
Subjective time – no difference between breakups
Most recent breakup: M = 64.3
First breakup: M = 68.3
Feels very close
Feels very far away

13. Present * * * Feelings At Present Importance At Present R2 = .030
Affect items: upset, angry, hurt, happy (R), breakup desired (R)

14. Future * * Feelings in Future Importance in Future R2 < .001

15. Study 2: Interpersonal Transgressions
196 MTurk participants
67.9% female
M age = 34.1

16. Study 2 Think about someone with whom you have a personal relationship
Attachment Style Questionnaire (9 items, α = .89) (Fraley et al., 2006)
Now we would like you to think about an event that occurred in the past month [a year ago or more] in which the person that you previously selected did something that hurt or wronged you.
Subjective time (measured)

17. Objective and Subjective Time
Objective time – month ago is closer
Month: Mean = 19.2 days (Median = 14.0 days)
Year: Mean = days (Median = days)
Subjective time - month ago does feel closer than one year ago
Month: M = 44.2
Year: M = 68.2
Feels very close
Feels very far away

18. Present * * Feelings At Present Importance At Present R2 = .013
Affect items: upset, angry, hurt

19. Future * * Feelings in Future Importance in Future R2 = .002

20. Why?
If it’s not objective time that’s accounting for differences in subjective time, what is?
Past
Present
Past
Present

21. Interpersonal Transgressions: Attachment Predicts Subjective Time

22. Subjective Time as Mediator
Secure Attachment Style
Subjective Time
Negative Affect Currently
.25**
-.47**
-.40** (-.28**)
Controlling for objective
time condition
CI [-.0162, ]

23. Study 3: Personal Failures
212 MTurk participants
52.4% female
M age = 35.5

24. Study 3
Now we would like you to think about an even that you consider a personal failure that occurred approximately one month ago [one year] in the past. This could involve a time you failed to accomplish a goal, did poorly on a task, got negative feedback, or any other kind of even that felt like a failure. It could be related to a personal goal, work, school, home, family, relationship, competition, or any other domain - as long as you considered it a personal failure.  

25. Study 3 Close Condition: Distant Condition:
We would like you to tell the story about what happened during this failure incident. We would like you to tell the story in a particular way: as though it was happening right now, in the present moment. That is, use the present tense when telling the story, and narrate the event as though you were living through it right now, at this very moment. 
We will give you the beginning of a sentence to start your story. Use this to start your story, and continue your story in a similar way. For example, use phrases such as, "at this very moment, I am doing..." or "right now, I feel like...". 
Your story should begin as follows: "At this moment, I am..."
Distant Condition:
We would like you to tell the story about what happened during this failure incident. We would like you to tell the story in a particular way: some time has passed now since the event occurred, so we would like you to situate this incident clearly in the past. That is, use the past tense when telling the story, and narrate the event in a way that reflects that you are looking back on a past incident.
We will give you the beginning of a sentence to start your story. Use this to start your story, and continue your story in a similar way. For example, use phrases such as, "in the past, I was..." or "back then, I felt like...".
Your story should begin as follows: "In the past, I was..."

26. Subjective Distance (Measured)* †
Controlling for past distress

27. Present Affect * * Present Affect Affect Items: -Upset -Worried
-Disappointed
-Ashamed
-Distressed * *
Controlling for past distress

28. Does time heal all wounds?
How far it feels may be more important to know than how far it is
People share objective time, but not subjective time
Subjective time can be altered

29. Other Contexts

30. Preferred Sentence Length
Crime Context
Preferred Sentence Length
15 Months *
R2 = .011
∆R2 = .137

31. Race and Prejudice Predict Subjective Time* *
Controlling for objective
time condition

32. Subjective Time as Mediator
Controlling for objective
time condition
Subjective Time
-.87*
-.21**
Modern
Racism X Race
Preferred
Jail Sentence
1.09** (.85*)
CI [.3558, ]

33. White Black Subjective Time .02 -.19 Modern Racism Preferred
Jail Sentence
-.04 (-.04)
CI [ , .9582]
Subjective Time
-.40**
-.31**
Black
Modern
Racism
Preferred
Jail Sentence
.50** (.37**)
CI [.5093, ]

34. Does time heal all wounds?
How far it feels may be more important to know than how far it is
People share objective time, but not subjective time
Subjective time can be altered
May apply to more than purely personal matters

35. Our Time Is Up!