Turning the Hands of Time

Clockwise Movements Increase Preference for Novelty

Bibliographic Data

ID21209052
AuthorsSascha Topolinski (0000-0001-9295-3463, University of Würzburg, corresponding author), Peggy Sparenberg (Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences)
Year2012
Volume3
Issue3
Pages308-314
Publication date2012-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Psychological and Personality Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1948-5506 • E-ISSN: 1948-5514
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/1948550611419266
OpenAlexW2093986562
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited31

The omnipresent abstract symbol for time progression and regression is clockwise versus counterclockwise rotation. It was tested whether merely executing and seeing clockwise (vs. counterclockwise) movements would induce psychological states of temporal progression (vs. regression) and according to motivational orientations toward the future and novelty (vs. the past and familiarity). Supporting this hypothesis, participants who turned cranks counterclockwise preferred familiar over novel stimuli, but participants who turned cranks clockwise preferred novel over old stimuli, reversing the classic mere exposure effect (Experiment 1). Also, participants rotating a cylinder clockwise reported higher scores in the personality measure openness to experience than participants rotating counterclockwise (Experiment 2). Merely passively watching a rotating square had similar but weaker effects on exposure and openness (Experiment 3). Finally, participants chose more unconventional candies from a clockwise than from a counterclockwise Lazy Susan, that is, a turntable (Experiment 4)

Clockwise · Geometry · Novelty · Openness to experience · Cognitive and developmental aspects of mathematical skills · Mathematics · Multisensory perception and integration · Neuroscience and Music Perception · Psychology · Social Psychology

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub