When we think that we will take the same long road at the turn of the endless road on our way to a place, this is not the case at all. It creates a feeling as if we took the same path without a shortcut. What is really causing this situation?
As those who feel that return journeys are shorter, we are not alone. Even in the literature, this “return trip effect” (return trip effect)”.
Of course, this effect does not apply to all situations. For example, if we get an urgent call and give all our focus to going somewhere, the way back shorter it can feel. Likewise, we may not feel the “return trip effect” in places we routinely go.
The experiment conducted in 2011 brought some explanations to the subject.
Niels Van de Ven and colleagues on the “return trip effect” in 2011 a few experiments performed.
In one of the experiments, cyclists were asked to take a certain route, and on the way back, they were asked to return to the starting point by different routes. Cyclists in the control group same way while returning, others reached the starting point by different routes.
As a result of the experiment, the difference between the time estimates of cyclists traveling different routes of the same length A lot little difference found.
This may be related to our expectations.
Niels Van de Ven and his colleagues describe this as a way of making their outbound journeys. longer than we expected explains it on the basis of the assumption that In other words, we think that if the outbound journey takes longer than we expected, the return journey will also take longer. As a result of this expectation, the return journey seems shorter to us.
On our routine trips (going to work, going to the market, visiting family), on the other hand, our expectations are more realistic and we do not feel the “return trip effect” much.
One of the assumptions of Roy et al., who conducted the study, is on “time relevance.”
According to Roy, when we need to be in a place at a certain time for a job, our time relevance is high. For this reason, we feel the time going forward as longer.
From our starting point time is not so important on the way back and so we are distracted or distracted by what is going on around us. In short, our time relevance is low when we have no obligations.
According to another assumption, “time dilation” may be possible on the route.
In the situation experienced for the first time (when going somewhere for the first time), the stimuli to be unknown Because of this, the flow of time may seem slower.
This explanation is also supported by studies on time perception. In short, we will go familiarized Our mind perceives the road as shorter thanks to these familiarities.
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