1995 Feels So Close Yet So Far: The Effect of Event Markers on the Subjective Feelings of Elapsed Time

Why do some events feel more distant than others? Prior research suggests that characteristics of the event itself can affect the estimated date of its occurrence. Our work differs in that we focus on how characteristics of the time interval following the target event can affect people's feelings of elapsed time, as revealed in their everyday expressions of how recent or distant an event seems. We argue that a time interval that is punctuated by a greater number of events precipitated by the target event ("event markers") will make the target event feel more distant. In three studies we find that the greater the number of event markers, the more distant an event feels. The effect of markers is independent of other characteristics of the event, such as its memorability, its emotionality, and its estimated date, suggesting that this effect is distinct from established biases in date and duration estimation.