Circadian functioning and time perspectives: associations with eveningness, morning affect, and amplitude distinctness

Carciofo, Richard · 2024 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1007/s12144-023-05606-w

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Summary

This study investigates the relationship between circadian functioning and time perspectives (TP), addressing a limitation in prior research that relied on unidimensional measures of morningness-eveningness. While established literature links morningness with future-oriented TP and eveningness with present-oriented TP, this research aims to disentangle these associations by examining specific components of circadian functioning: Eveningness (time-of-day preference), Morning Affect (alertness and sleep inertia after awakening), and Distinctness (amplitude of diurnal variations in functioning). The study seeks to determine if these distinct components uniquely correlate with TP dimensions and to test whether Morning Affect mediates the relationship between Eveningness and future orientation. The study utilized an online survey administered to 299 Chinese university students (aged 18–25). Participants completed validated questionnaires assessing TP using the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, circadian components via the Morningness-Eveningness-Stability-Scale, and various psychological and behavioral variables including conscientiousness, life satisfaction, affect, sleep quality, and mind wandering. Data analysis included Pearson correlations, partial correlations controlling for Morning Affect, mediation analysis using PROCESS, and path modeling with IBM Amos to explore structural relationships among the variables. Results replicated known correlations, such as positive associations between Future TP, conscientiousness, and life satisfaction, and negative associations between Past-negative TP and negative affect. Crucially, Morning Affect positively correlated with Future TP and negatively with Past-negative TP and Deviation from Balanced Time Perspective (DBTP). Conversely, Distinctness positively correlated with Past-negative TP and DBTP, while negatively correlating with Future TP. Eveningness positively correlated with Present-hedonistic TP and negatively with Future TP. Mediation analysis revealed that the association between Eveningness and reduced Future TP was significantly mediated by Morning Affect; when controlling for Morning Affect, the direct link between Eveningness and Future TP became non-significant. Path models supported a framework where Eveningness relates to lower Future TP through impaired functioning and reduced self-regulation associated with low Morning Affect. The findings highlight the value of component-level analysis in circadian research, demonstrating that the link between eveningness and future orientation is not direct but operates through Morning Affect. This suggests that the psychological correlates of chronotype, particularly regarding time perspective and self-control, are driven more by the quality of morning alertness and sleep inertia than by time-of-day preference alone. The study concludes that unidimensional measures of morningness-eveningness obscure these specific mechanisms, advocating for more granular assessments of circadian functioning to better understand their impact on cognition and behavior.

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• circadian factors