Additional Psychometric Evidence and Construct Validity for a Revised Preferences Scale of Morningness

A preliminary study on the association between social media at night and sleep quality: The relevance of FOMO, cognitive pre-sleep arousal, and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation

Research shows that nighttime social media is negatively associated with sleep quality and that it might be utilized to cope with aversive psychological states related to cognitive pre-sleep arousal (i.e., transdiagnostic psychopathology variables, referring to maladaptive repetitive thought), namely Fear of Missing Out (FoMO). The use of nighttime social media to cope with other aversive cognitive states (i.e., worry/rumination), their relationship with FoMO, and these variables' association with sleep are not fully understood. This study explored the relationships between nighttime social media, sleep quality, FoMO, cognitive pre-sleep arousal, and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation (i.e., worry/rumination). The present correlational study followed a cross-sectional design. Participants were 525 university students, ranging in age from 18 to 64 (M = 22.39, SD = 5.62). Measures of sleep quality, morningness/eveningness, cognitive pre-sleep arousal, worry, rumination, FoMO, nighttime screen, and social media use were collected online or in pencil-paper format. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Nighttime social media and FoMO were associated with rumination, worry (H1) and cognitive pre-sleep arousal. Both FoMO and worry predicted higher levels of cognitive pre-sleep arousal (H2) and nighttime social media use (H3). Nighttime social media use independently predicted poor sleep quality (H4). These results suggest that worry and FoMO may potentially affect sleep quality by increasing cognitive pre-sleep arousal and nighttime social media. A possible explanation for these findings is that nighttime social media might be used as a strategy to cope with aversive cognitive states. These conclusions may contribute to improving sleep intervention in this population.

An evaluation of morningness and schedule misfit using the revised Preferences Scale (PS-6): Implications for work and health outcomes among healthcare workers

The last several decades of shift work tolerance and circadian misalignment research has had mixed results regarding the adverse impact of shift work on work and health outcomes. This inconsistency is, in part, due to the circadian typology measure employed and the study methodology. Based on models of shift work and health, the present study examined associations between circadian misalignment, end-of-day strain, and job- and health-related outcomes using the revised Preferences Scale (PS-6). A sample of 129 healthcare workers (76.7% female) from the United States (67%) and Australia (34.1%) aged 22 to 64 responded to a self-report questionnaire on work schedules, work stressors, and well-being. Multiple regression analysis found that the preferences for cognitive activity subscale of the PS-6 moderated the association between shift work and strain (b = -.36, p < .001). Those who worked nights experienced more strain if their preferences for cognitive activity were misaligned, whereas no differences in strain were observed among day workers. Moderated-mediation analyses, on the basis 95% confidence intervals, found that shift work had a conditional indirect effect on work-family conflict, job satisfaction, and health-related quality of life, via strain, and the effect was moderated by preferences for cognitive activity. Findings provide additional evidence for the criterion and external validity of the PS-6, and importantly, the present study establishes further support for models of shift work and health. Overall, the analyses highlight the importance of exploring the interactions between shift work and different dimensions of morningness in shift work tolerance research.

Beyond sleep: A multidimensional model of chronotype

Chronotype can be defined as an expression or proxy for circadian rhythms of varied mechanisms, for example in body temperature, cortisol secretion, cognitive functions, eating and sleeping patterns. It is influenced by a range of internal (e.g., genetics) and external factors (e.g., light exposure), and has implications for health and well-being. Here, we present a critical review and synthesis of existing models of chronotype. Our observations reveal that most existing models and, as a consequence, associated measures of chronotype have focused solely or primarily on the sleep dimension, and typically have not incorporated social and environmental influences on chronotype. We propose a multidimensional model of chronotype, integrating individual (biological and psychological), environmental and social factors that appear to interact to determine an individual's true chronotype with potential feedback loops between these factors. This model could be beneficial not only from a basic science perspective but also in the context of understanding health and clinical implications of certain chronotypes as well as designing preventive and therapeutic approaches for related illnesses.

Morning Chronotype Decreases the Risk of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Women With Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this longitudinal prospective cohort study was to investigate the role of chronotype in the incidence of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) among women with breast cancer.

METHODS

We recruited women with breast cancer awaiting adjuvant chemotherapy, including four cycles of docetaxel. Participants reported peripheral neuropathy symptoms of numbness/tingling at the baseline, and at 4weeks after completion of chemotherapy. Candidate psychiatric factors associated with CIPN were assessed at the baseline, using the Composite Scale of Morningness, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. To examine the association between chronotype and CIPN, we built logistic regression models, adjusting for demographic, clinical, and other psychiatric variables.

RESULTS

Among 48 participants, 29 participants developed CIPN. The morning chronotype was inversely associated with CIPN (odds ratio, 0.06; confidence interval, 0.01-0.74; P = 0.028) after adjusting for age, BMI, education, type of operation, alcohol use, smoking, sleep quality, depression, and anxiety.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that the morning chronotype is a protective factor against the development of CIPN in patients with breast cancer who were treated with docetaxel.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01887925.

Does visual search mediate the effect of chronotype on driving behaviour: Evidence from simulated driving

Chronotype refers to individual differences in the timing of circadian sleep-wake cycles and subjective alertness throughout the day. It is a potential factor influencing people's driving behaviour, but no research has explored the mechanisms underlying this topic. The current study aimed to explore the relationship between morningness-eveningness preferences and driving behaviour and the mediating effect of visual search between them. Thirty-eight drivers were selected to participate in this study based on their chronotype. They were divided into morning-type and evening-type groups by their score on the reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (rMEQ). Both groups completed a visual search task and a simulated driving task in a morning session and an evening session. The results showed that morningness-eveningness preferences had synchronous effects on basic driving performance; specifically, morning-type drivers showed better driving behaviour in the morning than in the evening, and evening-type drivers showed the opposite trend. Furthermore, visual search abilities showed a mediating effect between morningness-eveningness preference and driving performance. The mechanisms underlying these results are discussed. Related results and data could aid with schedule arrangements for professional drivers.

Differences in visual-spatial working memory and driving behavior between morning-type and evening-type drivers

Circadian rhythms are changes in life activities over a cycle of approximately 24 hours. Studies on chronotypes have found that there are significant differences in physiology, personality, cognitive ability and driving behavior between morning-type and evening-type people. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between visual-spatial working memory and driving behavior between morning-type and evening-type drivers in China. A total of 42 Chinese drivers were selected to participate in this study according to their score on the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire, including 22 morning-type drivers and 20 evening-type drivers. During the experiment, the participants completed one cognitive task (visual-spatial working memory), two simulated driving tasks (car-following task and pedestrian-crossing task), and the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI). The results showed that evening-type drivers self-reported more dangerous driving behaviors but had better lateral control on the simulated driving task than morning-type drivers. In addition, evening-type drivers had greater accuracy when performing the visual-spatial working memory task. Moreover, the accuracy on the visual-spatial working memory task positively predicted the percentage of time over the speed limit by 10 mph (POS10) and negatively correlated with the reaction time measure (time to meet pedestrians) in the pedestrian-crossing task. The relationships among chronotype, cognitive ability and driving behavior are also discussed. Understanding the underlying mechanisms could help explain why evening-type drivers perform dangerous driving behaviors more often.

Circadian preferences in young adults: Psychometric properties and factor structure of the Portuguese version of the Preferences Scale (PS-6)

Morningness is a trait-like variable which has been extensively studied within chronobiology. Despite the number of existing measures to assess morningness, there is a need for brief instruments that are psychometrically sound to be used in applied settings. Accordingly, the modified version of the Preferences Scale (PS-6) comprises six items and was reported to have adequate reliability and satisfactory validity indicators. In this article, the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the PS-6 are reported. A total of 700 students attending medical school were recruited, and this sample was randomly divided into two groups. In the first group (n = 352), we assessed the internal consistency calculations and conducted a principal component analysis of the posited structure. In the second group (n = 348), we conducted a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using structural equation modeling. Overall, the results indicated that the PS-6 has adequate reliability (α = .75) and is constituted by two components: (I) preferred cognitive activities timings and (II) preferred sleeping-eating timings, respectively. In conclusion, the Portuguese version of the PS seems suitable for use in research and applied settings such as shift work schedules management. However, the applicability of the PS-6 in other samples and further validity indicators should be both investigated. The use of actigraphy and biological measures should also be collected to enhance the robustness of the PS-6.

Association between morningness/eveningness, addiction severity and psychiatric disorders among individuals with addictions

Studies have shown that Evening-Type (ET) subjects used more stimulating and sedative substances, and presented more psychiatric disorders than Morning-Type (MT) subject. However, there is a lack of data on the chronotype of patients with addiction. The aim of our study was to describe chronotype and associated factors in a sample of outpatients beginning treatment for addiction. Subjects were assessed with the Morningness-Eveningness questionnaire of Hörne & Ostberg, the Addiction Severity Index and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. In the 333 subjects with an addiction, 20% were MT and 32% were ET. When comparing ET to MT, multivariate analysis showed that ET was significantly associated with poly-problematic addiction, non-substance addictions, cannabis addiction, and mood disorders, but not with severity of addiction. MT was associated with antisocial personality disorder. Results suggested that chronotype was associated with specific addiction pattern and psychiatric disorders.

Dangerous driving in a Chinese sample: associations with morningness-eveningness preference and personality

Individual differences in morningness-eveningness preference may influence susceptibility and response to sleepiness. These differences could influence driving performance, but the influence of morningness-eveningness preference on driving behavior and accident risk has not been comprehensively studied. As morningness-eveningness preference is associated with personality characteristics, we also investigated how the interaction between morningness-eveningness preference and personality may be related to dangerous driving behaviors. Two hundred and ninety five drivers completed the reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire, the Dula Dangerous Driving Index, and personality scales for agreeableness, conscientiousness and neuroticism, and reported demographic information (gender, age, level of education, driving years and annual average driving mileage) and self-reported traffic violations (accidents, penalty points and fines). The results showed that more Risky Driving, Aggressive Driving, Negative Cognitive/Emotional Driving and Drunk Driving, as measured by the Dula Dangerous Driving Index, were all significantly correlated with more eveningness, corresponding to lower scores on the reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire. Moreover, eveningness was correlated with self-reported traffic accidents, penalty points and fines. Furthermore, a moderation effect was found: eveningness was more strongly associated with risky driving and negative emotional driving in those who scored high for trait agreeableness.

Reviewing the psychometric properties of contemporary circadian typology measures

The accurate measurement of circadian typology (CT) is critical because the construct has implications for a number of health disorders. In this review, we focus on the evidence to support the reliability and validity of the more commonly used CT scales: the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (rMEQ), the Composite Scale of Morningness (CSM), and the Preferences Scale (PS). In addition, we also consider the Munich ChronoType Questionnaire (MCTQ). In terms of reliability, the MEQ, CSM, and PS consistently report high levels of reliability (>0.80), whereas the reliability of the rMEQ is satisfactory. The stability of these scales is sound at follow-up periods up to 13 mos. The MCTQ is not a scale; therefore, its reliability cannot be assessed. Although it is possible to determine the stability of the MCTQ, these data are yet to be reported. Validity must be given equal weight in assessing the measurement properties of CT instruments. Most commonly reported is convergent and construct validity. The MEQ, rMEQ, and CSM are highly correlated and this is to be expected, given that these scales share common items. The level of agreement between the MCTQ and the MEQ is satisfactory, but the correlation between these two constructs decreases in line with the number of "corrections" applied to the MCTQ. The interesting question is whether CT is best represented by a psychological preference for behavior or by using a biomarker such as sleep midpoint. Good-quality subjective and objective data suggest adequate construct validity for each of the CT instruments, but a major limitation of this literature is studies that assess the predictive validity of these instruments. We make a number of recommendations with the aim of advancing science. Future studies need to (1) focus on collecting data from representative samples that consider a number of environmental factors; (2) employ longitudinal designs to allow the predictive validity of CT measures to be assessed and preferably make use of objective data; (3) employ contemporary statistical approaches, including structural equation modeling and item-response models; and (4) provide better information concerning sample selection and a rationale for choosing cutoff points.

Circadian typology: a comprehensive review

The interest in the systematic study of the circadian typology (CT) is relatively recent and has developed rapidly in the two last decades. All the existing data suggest that this individual difference affects our biological and psychological functioning, not only in health, but also in disease. In the present study, we review the current literature concerning the psychometric properties and validity of CT measures as well as individual, environmental and genetic factors that influence the CT. We present a brief overview of the biological markers that are used to define differences between CT groups (sleep-wake cycle, body temperature, cortisol and melatonin), and we assess the implications for CT and adjustment to shiftwork and jet lag. We also review the differences between CT in terms of cognitive abilities, personality traits and the incidence of psychiatric disorders. When necessary, we have emphasized the methodological limitations that exist today and suggested some future avenues of work in order to overcome these. This is a new field of interest to professionals in many different areas (research, labor, academic and clinical), and this review provides a state of the art discussion to allow professionals to integrate chronobiological aspects of human behavior into their daily practice.