The symmetry of the noninstantaneous Kerr susceptibility is investigated in different liquids and glasses using a time-resolved two-beam energy transfer technique with pulses in the 100–15 fs range. The pulse duration dependence of the ratio of the isotropic to anisotropic tensor elements is demonstrated in liquid CS2 and in silica, showing that the elementary mechanisms mediating the observed optical beam energy transfers are modified for short pulses. This effect is ascribed to alteration of the nuclear contribution and increasing influence of the electronic one.