Cognitive Maps of Time

We all have a deep and mostly unexamined sense of knowing what time is, and how it moves. Cognitive maps of time make that fundamental form of knowing visible by illustrating how quickly or slowly time is expected to move.

These maps also suggest degree of predictability, flexibility, or ability to accommodate other temporal outlooks.

Members of a group were asked to draw a picture of a typical week. Here are some results.

Some people see weeks as circular...	Others see weeks as linear or angular...
Time can be smooth and regular...	Or rough and ueven...

These diagrams show differences in:

Pace and workload relationships Expectations Feelings of entrapment and depression Past moments of joy Importance of sleep etc.
	Differences result from: Philosophy, culture & religion Experience (class, gender, ability) Personal stability and need for security Personal Expectations - hope & despair Belief in self efficacy & locus of control Biology
Problems with Pace, Rhythm & Future Negatively Effect Productivity Low Level of Engagement Rustout Miscommunication Bad Coordination & Teamwork Missed Deadlines Burnout Alienation Drug Abuse & Alcoholism Despair & Depression Suicide
An individual Temporal Signature™, or characteristic knowing of time, affects many things, especially sensitivity to the timing expectations of others. Here is a simplified illustration of what an organization does – or tries to do – to individual pacing and images of the future.