The Return-Trip Effect: Why the Return-trip Often Seems to Take Less Time

August? 2011 -> spitswww.uvt.nl

Three studies confirm the existence of the return-trip effect: the return-trip often seems shorter than the initial-trip, even though the distance travelled and the actual time travelled is identical. A pretest shows that people indeed experience a return-trip effect regularly and the effect was found on a bus trip (Study 1),
a bicycle trip (Study 2),
and when participants watched a video of someone else travelling (Study 3).

The return-trip effect also existed when another, equidistant route was taken on the return-trip, showing that it is not familiarity with the route that causes this effect. Rather, it seems that a violation of expectations appears to cause this effect.