UTSA marketing professor Rajesh Bhargave researches time perception
(Feb. 11, 2010)--While most people will agree that it feels like time is passing them by, according to UTSA marketing professor Rajesh Bhargave, the perception of the passage of time is variable.
Bhargave's co-authored research in the area of time perception was published recently in Psychological Science and appeared in the New York Times.
"We looked at why events or activities from the past were perceived as more recent or more distant, even when they occurred at around the same time," said Bhargave, assistant professor of marketing in the UTSA College of Business. "Why does the sensation of the passing of time differ?"
According to his research findings, a time interval that is punctuated by a greater number of accessible intervening events related to the target event, or event markers, will make the target event feel more distant.
For instance, the time since a child's birth is marked regularly by subsequent, related events such as birthdays and child development. So, the child's birth would feel more distant when these markers are brought to mind. On the other hand, for events with fewer markers, such as the death of a celebrity, the time since the event would have less markers and the event itself would feel more recent.
"Time perception provides a crucial input into consumers' behavior, and these findings have a direct impact for marketers," said Bhargave, who received his doctorate from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. "By creating event markers for a triggering incident, such as a gift made to a charity or a visit to a hotel or restaurant, marketers can help determine how consumers perceive the time since the event."
Events
Join the PEACE Center and Wellbeing Services for Denim Day, a day of learning about the importance of consent and why we wear denim on the last Wednesday of the month each April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Stop by our Denim Day display to take a photo in front of our Denim Wall, spin the "Is It Consent?" Wheel, and get a Concha or goodie.
Student Union Window Lounge, Main CampusLearn to use Zotero®, a citation manager that can help you store and organize citations you find during your research. Zotero can generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.
Virtual EventThis event will acknowledge graduating seniors from the McNair Scholars program at UTSA before inducting the new cohort of scholars into the program.
North Paseo Building (NPB 5.140), Main CampusAt this memorable celebration, UTSA graduates will be introduced one-by-one to cross the stage and accept their doctoral degrees.
Arts Building Recital Hall, Main CampusRoadrunner Walk is an event for graduating students to have a memorable walk on campus to celebrate an important milestone and their achievements. Graduates will walk along the Paseo while being celebrated by the UTSA community, friends, and family members.
Student Union Paseo, Main CampusCelebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St.Celebrate the accomplishments of Alvarez College of Business, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St.