Does time ever fly or slow down? The difficult interpretation of psychophysical data on time perception.

Time perception is studied with subjective or semi-objective psychophysical methods. With subjective methods, observers provide quantitative estimates of duration and data depict the psychophysical function relating subjective duration to objective duration. With semi-objective methods, observers provide categorical or comparative judgments of duration and data depict the psychometric function relating the probability of a certain judgment to objective duration. Both approaches are used to study whether subjective and objective time run at the same pace or whether time flies or slows down under certain conditions. We analyze theoretical aspects affecting the interpretation of data gathered with the most widely used semi-objective methods, including single-presentation and paired-comparison methods. For this purpose, a formal model of psychophysical performance is used in which subjective duration is represented via a psychophysical function and the scalar property. This provides the timing component of the model, which is invariant across methods. A decisional component that varies across methods reflects how observers use subjective durations to make judgments and give the responses requested under each method. Application of the model shows that psychometric functions in single-presentation methods are uninterpretable because the various influences on observed performance are inextricably confounded in the data. In contrast, data gathered with paired-comparison methods permit separating out those influences. Prevalent approaches to fitting psychometric functions to data are also discussed and shown to be inconsistent with widely accepted principles of time perception, implicitly assuming instead that subjective time equals objective time and that observed differences across conditions do not reflect differences in perceived duration but criterion shifts. These analyses prompt evidence-based recommendations for best methodological practice in studies on time perception.

Edición y estudio de Bencimarte de Lusitania

La historia del invencible y clarísimo principe Bencimarte de Lusitania, emperador del gran Cairo y de otros principes de su linaje, is a handwritten Romance of Chivalries found by José Manuel Lucía Megías in the library of the Royal Palace in Madrid. There are two known copies in the forementioned library. The two copies (B1 and B2) dońt have the same content, the depth of the work is found in B1 which is selected for this thesis whereas in B2 we could only find incoherent and unconnected parts due to book binding and covering as some texts had been lost. In the present work is going to be offered a manuscript description, inner and outer features, dating issues, text variations, narrative voices and structure, chronology and worḱs primary and secondary sources, characters, summaries, arguments and what́s new according to the world of chivalry. Our initial aim was to set a conclusive text of Bencimarte de Lusitania as to it has remained unknown for the reader until nowadays. It dealt with the transcription of both manuscripts, reinterprated their contents and compared them with the original texts. On the other hand, we could make a critical edition of the final version which highlighted Bencimarte himself and its possible interpretations. Thus, we could suitably arrange the text in its period as there is no date on it by means of the text itself or any further reference. We will do the same regarding to either the author or the authors. We would study the book itself offering an interpretation and a deep analysis of its elements, both the structural ones and those that belong to Romance of Chivelries themselves (mythical and marvellous adventures, knights and ladies , prodigious characters, the topic of the found manuscript, challenges and so on) as well as what is new and unique in this work of art which means to follow a pattern apart from introducing something new in the Chivelry books...