Time perception

A paired-comparisons procedure was used to obtain
relative duration judgements of identical pairs of normal
(e.g. A vs. A) or rotated (e.g.V vs.V) letters. Each
pair of letters was presented simultaneously for a duration
of 50msec, with one letter in the LVF (left visual field,
right hemisphere), and one in the RVF (right visual field,
left hemisphere). It was hypothesized that LVF presentations
of rotated letters would have a greater apparent
duration . This was based on Hock, Kronseder, and Corcoran's
(1975) demonstration that rotated letters presented in the
LVF produce longer reaction times than RVF presentations on
a visual comparisons task. The results were that subjects' "left" vs. "right"
responses did not differ significantly for any of the
conditions. Methodological considerations were cited as a
possible reason for the failure to confirm the present
hypo thesis.

Cultural geographic theory uses dramatic language (place ballets , time-space routines, temporal rhythms , etc.) to describe how humans sense and dwell in places. Because the theory contemplates human behavior enacted upon a stage, it is applicable to theater studies. This thesis asserts that Hamlet's, Othello's, and Antony's treacherous lifeworlds undermine their spatiotemporal senses and initiate quests similar to those described by Anne Buttimer as searches "for order, predictability, and routine, as well as [...] for adventure and change" ("Grasping" 285). Hamlet's revenge plot is a pursuit of order and reclamation of his identity at Elsinore. Desdemona's murder is Othello's attempt to salvage his character, which he believed sullied by infidelity. Alexandria offers Antony a life opposite Rome's and sets him on a course of indecisiveness. These plays demonstrate that, at the point of cultural contact, routines are interrupted and identities destabilize. Tragically, the characters lose themselves in the turmoil.