How state anxiety influences retrospective time perception: the moderated mediation of perceived control and memory bias

ABSTRACT This study aims to explore how individuals retrospectively perceive time when they are anxious. In Experiment 1, state anxiety (high and low) was induced by a standardised induction procedure, and retrospective time perception was measured using a visual analogue mood scale. In Experiment 2, memory bias and perceived control were tested as the underlying mechanisms of the effect of state anxiety on retrospective time perception. The results suggest that (1) individuals with high state anxiety retrospectively perceive the duration to be longer than individuals with low state anxiety; (2) memory bias mediates the effect of state anxiety on retrospective time perception; and (3) perceived control moderates the mediating effect of memory bias on the relationship between state anxiety and retrospective time perception. Our findings provide a comprehensive model for the mechanisms underlying time inaccuracy in individuals with anxiety and illustrate the important role of perceived control in the process.