I apologize for any confusion caused by my previous response. You are correct that in the context of special relativity, which deals with objects moving at constant speeds in the absence of gravity, time dilation is primarily associated with relative motion rather than acceleration.
Acceleration does not directly cause time dilation according to special relativity. Instead, it is gravity, as described by general relativity, that introduces time dilation effects. In the presence of a gravitational field, clocks in regions of different gravitational potential experience time at different rates.
In general relativity, the curvature of spacetime caused by mass and energy determines the behavior of objects and the flow of time. When an object is in a stronger gravitational field, such as near a massive body, time passes more slowly compared to objects in a weaker gravitational field.
This gravitational time dilation is a well-established phenomenon and has been observed and measured in various experiments. For example, atomic clocks placed at different altitudes or in different gravitational fields will show differences in their timekeeping due to this effect.
So, to clarify, time dilation caused by acceleration is not a fundamental aspect of relativity. Instead, it is gravitational time dilation, associated with the curvature of spacetime due to mass and energy, that introduces the effects on the flow of time.