Morningness-eveningness in adolescents

Individual morningness-eveningness differences explain the rhythmic variations of behavioral and biological patterns. Several studies have corroborated that morningness preference increases over adulthood and aging. Adolescents shift their time of day preferences from morningness to eveningness during puberty. The aims of this study were translate to Spanish the Morningness-Eveningness Scale for Children (MESC) and to analyze age and sex differences. A group of 600 adolescents (aged between 12 and 16 years) participated in the study. Psychometric analysis showed that reliability and factor structure were suitable and similar to previous studies. The results indicated a clear decrease of morningness as of 12 years. Boys were more morningness-oriented than girls in several items of the questionnaire. In view of the results, several educational implications are raised.     

The stability of the morning affect scale across age and gender

A limitation of the morningness–eveningness literature is the assumption that morningness is a ‘fixed’ construct. Morningness–eveningness scales are often developed on young adult samples, yet studies report that eveningness peaks in young adults with a shift to morningness from the age of 25 to 35 years of age. This age related change in morningness–eveningness may explain why these scales have limited success when applied in older samples. We tested this argument by developing a measurement model based on the Composite Scale of Morningness using a sample aged <30 years of age. Tucker’s congruence coefficient and confirmatory factor analysis indicated this solution was not a good fit in three older age groups. In contrast, we repeated this assessment using the ‘morning affect’ scale. This scale comprises items that measure morningness preference only. Model fit indicators suggested the ‘morning affect’ scale was a good fit across four age groups and gender.     

Morningness-eveningness, use of stimulants, and minor psychiatric disorders among undergraduate students

Morningness–eveningness dimension in humans have been indicated to influence social behavior and individual health. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of the morningness–eveningness dimension with behavioral and health aspects in a sample of undergraduate students. We assessed demographic data; the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to evaluate sleep quality; the Morningness/Eveningness Questionnaire to determine morningness–eveningness, and the Self‐Reporting Questionnaire to assess minor psychiatric disorders. A total of 372 students (66.7% females), on average 21.6 years old, participated in this study. Among them, 92.2% did not smoke, 58.9% engaged in physical activities, and 19.7% were night‐shift workers. In regard to morningness–eveningness, 55.9% of the participants were intermediate between evening (39.5%) and morning (4.6%) types. Poor sleep quality (OR = 1.89), minor psychiatric disorders (OR = 1.92), and tobacco consumption (OR = 3.65) predominated among evening types. Evening types were predominantly males (OR = 1.72). This study suggests that evening types are more vulnerable to sleep and psychiatric disturbances, and tend to smoke more than morning types.     

Indecision and Avoidant Procrastination: The Role of Morningness—Eveningness and Time Perspective in Chronic Delay Lifestyles

The authors examined how time orientation and morningness—eveningness relate to 2 forms of procrastination: indecision and avoidant forms. Participants were 509 adults (M age = 49.78 years, SD = 6.14) who completed measures of time orientation, morningness—eveningness, decisional procrastination (i.e., indecision), and avoidant procrastination. Results showed that morningness was negatively related to avoidant procrastination but not decisional procrastination. Overall, the results indicated different temporal profiles for indecision and avoidant procrastinations. Avoidant procrastination related to low future time orientation and low morningness, whereas indecision related to both (a) high negative and high positive past orientations and (b) low present-hedonistic and low future time orientations. The authors inferred that distinct forms of procrastination seem different on the basis of dimensions of time.     

Effects of longitude,latitude and social factors on chronotype in Turkish students

The aim of this research was to investigate whether morningness–eveningness, midpoint of sleep and average sleep duration are associated with longitude, latitude, age, gender, inhabitation and school start times in Turkish students. 15,362 students from 9 to 21 years participated in this study. Eveningness and midpoint of sleep – but not sleep duration – increased from east to west, suggesting that longitude has an effect on chronotype. Adolescents from the southern parts of Turkey were more morning oriented, suggesting an influence of climate or latitude. Morningness was negatively and midpoint of sleep was positively related with age. Females had higher morningness scores and students from urban localities showed higher eveningness and a later midpoint of sleep.     

Conscientiousness but not agreeableness mediates females’ tendency toward being a morning person

Individuals differ in their chronotype, and some are identified as morning ones and others as evening ones. Earlier studies showed that women were higher on morningness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness. In this study, we aimed at exploring the mediational effects of conscientiousness and agreeableness in the relationship of gender and morningness‐eveningness. Participants were 669 university students. Results supported positive relationships between morningness and conscientiousness and agreeableness and between conscientiousness and agreeableness. Females were higher on all these three variables. Mediation analyses suggested that the effect of gender (here females) on chronotype (here morningness) was mediated by conscientiousness but not agreeableness so that after the mediation partially occurred, the gender's effect did not remain significant anymore. This study backed our hypothesis that conscientiousness might play a more pronounced role than the intrinsic diurnal rhythm concerning the sex differences in chronotype.     

Association of daytime sleepiness and the morningness/eveningness dimension in young adult subjects in Brazil

Sleepiness is a major public health problem associated with motor vehicle crashes, occupational accidents, decreased productivity, and interpersonal problems. It can be influenced by many factors, including the individual's circadian rhythm. The objective of this study is to assess the correlation between the morningness/eveningness dimension and daytime sleepiness in medical school students. This is a cross-sectional study; 310 subjects (123 women and 187 men, M age 20.5 +/- 1.9 yr.) completed a questionnaire on use of drugs, diagnostic diseases, sleeping habits, the Morningness/Eveningness Questionnaire and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. The only variable related to daytime sleepiness was the morningness/eveningness dimension (r = -.18, p=.002). Questions with higher coefficients of discrimination between the morning and the evening chronotype were "Lying down to rest in the afternoon when circumstances permit" (.61), "Sitting and reading" (.53), and "As a passenger in a car for an hour without a break" (.53). The implications of the findings are discussed.     

Morningness in German and Spanish students: a comparative study

Humans show pronounced individual differences in circadian orientation. Transcultural comparisons are interesting since biological (or environmental) factors together with cultural ones may contribute to differences in morningness–eveningness. We compared Spanish and German undergraduates using the Composite Scale of Morningness (CSM) to assess circadian preferences. Confirmatory and multiple groups confirmatory factor analysis were used to assess factor structure and structural invariance across countries. The results showed that a three‐factor model of morningness best characterises the CSM structure of both samples. Partial factorial invariance (factor loadings) across countries was demonstrated for the factors ‘morningness’ and ‘morning alertness’. Scores of both factors were higher in German students. Potential cultural and biological explanations for the differences are discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Factor Structure of ADHD – Different Models,Analyses and Informants in a Bifactor Framework

The methodological approach of exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) has only been applied once to the construct of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We decided to compare bifactor models based on confirmatory factor analyses (Bi-CFA) and exploratory equation modeling (Bi-ESEM) only, as there is a growing support of a bifactor structure of ADHD. To examine the factorial validity of the construct we compared three possible bifactor models. One model with two specific factors (inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity), another model with three specific factors (inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity) and an alternative, incomplete model with one general ADHD and two specific factors (inattention and impulsivity). We used parent- (N = 1386; Age: M = 11.70, SD = 3.18; Sex: 74.5 % male) and teacher-ratings (N = 110; Age: M = 11.27, SD = 3.04; Sex: 77.5 % male) from clinically referred children between the age of 6 and 18. The results indicate that both methods lead to equally good model fit and for both informants the reliable variance of the specific factor hyperactivity is almost completely explained by the general factor. However, in the teacher condition cross-loadings seem to be of particular importance. Across both methods and informants covariation among ADHD symptom items can be in most part attributed to a general ADHD factor as well as to three (inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity) or two (inattention and impulsivity) weakly defined specific factors. Further research regarding associations between the specific factors of ADHD and other disorders (e.g. conduct disorder) should be conducted.     

Age and Gender Differences in Morningness–Eveningness During Adolescence

Morningness–eveningness was assessed in a large sample of adolescents and young adults. Morningness decreased from 12 to 15 years, and then remained on a stable level until about 20 years, when a turn back to morningness occurred. Boys and men were on average more evening-oriented than were girls and women. In detail, significant differences existed at the ages of 16, 18, and 19 years. A quadratic function explained more variance than a linear regression. Composite Scale of Morningness scores are related to puberty scores in boys and girls, and when combining data (i.e., higher pubertal development was related to eveningness).     

Evidence for the Trait-Impulsivity Etiological Model in a Clinical Sample: Bifactor Structure and Its Relation to Impairment and Environmental Risk

The trait-impulsivity etiological model assumes that a general factor (trait-impulsivity) underlies attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and other externalizing disorders. We investigated the plausibility of this assumption by testing the factor structure of ADHD and ODD in a bifactor framework for a clinical sample of 1420 children between 6 and 18 years of age (M = 9.99, SD = 3.34; 85% male). Further, the trait-impulsivity etiological model assumes that ODD emerges only if environmental risk factors are present. Our results support the validity of the trait-impulsivity etiological model, as they confirm that ADHD and ODD share a strong general factor of disruptive behavior (DB) in this clinical sample. Furthermore, unlike the subdimensions of ADHD, we found that the specific ODD factor explained as much true score variance as the general DB factor. This suggests that a common scale of ADHD and ODD may prove to be as important as a separate ODD subscale to assess externalizing problems in school-age children. However, all other subscales of ADHD may not explain sufficient true score variance once the impact of the general DB factor has been taken into consideration. In accordance with the trait-impulsivity model, we also showed that all factors, but predominantly the general factor and specific inattention factor, predicted parent-rated impairment, and that predominantly ODD and impulsivity are predicted by environmental risk factors.     

Morningness–Eveningness Scale for Children (MESC): Spanish normative data and factorial invariance according to sex and age

The purpose of the current study was to test the psychometric properties of the Morningness–Eveningness Scale for Children (MESC) to establish normative data, determine cut-off scores for differentiating between morning, intermediate and evening types, and test factorial invariance according to sex and age in a Spanish adolescent population. Additionally, self-reported sleep habits were related to morningness–eveningness (M–E) to study their convergent validity. A sample of 5387 Spanish youth aged 10–16 years old (50% girls) were included in this study. The results revealed that the MESC has acceptable reliability (α = .70), good fit to empirical data with a one-dimensional factorial structure, and metric invariance according to sex and age. M–E scores decreased with age, and boys scored higher in M–E compared to girls. Age and sex size effects were moderate and slight, respectively. The relationship between M–E and sleep habits indicated a delayed pattern of sleep–wake habits in evening types compared to morning types. The Spanish version of the MESC possesses good psychometric properties regarding reliability, metric factorial invariance and convergent validity with self-reported sleep habits.     

Exploration of the Factor Structure of ADHD in Adolescence through Self,Parent, and Teacher Reports of Symptomatology

Factor analytic studies of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adults have shown that second-order and bifactor models better represent ADHD symptoms than two- or three-factor models, yet there is far less evidence for a bestfitting model of ADHD in adolescence. Thus, the current study examined the factor structure of ADHD in adolescence and further evaluated the external validity of the best fitting model. Participants were 588 adolescents (22 % female; 366 with a childhood ADHD diagnosis; mean age 15.9 years) from the 8-year assessment of the Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD (MTA). ADHD symptoms were assessed via adolescent self-report, parent report, and teacher report on the SNAP-IV scale. Potential factor structures for the 18 symptoms of ADHD were tested for each informant, which included traditional one-factor, two-factor, and three-factor models of ADHD, as well as second-order factor (specific factors loading onto general factor) and bifactor (items loading onto both specific and general factors) models. Unique associations between external criteria and the identified factors of each informant’s best fitting model were examined. Although several of the proposed models exhibited good fit, the second-order two-factor model best accounted for ADHD in adolescence according to self-report and parent report, and the second-order three-factor model was optimal according to teacher report. Several key measurement issues emerged for the hierarchical bifactor models, such as numerous Heywood cases and out-of-bound parameter estimates, which rendered them unfit as optimal representations of ADHD in adolescence. These findings and the implications of the best fitting model of ADHD in adolescence suggest that a possible reorganization of this disorder may eventually aid clinicians in the accurate diagnosis of ADHD in adolescents.     

Testing a Bifactor Model of Relational and Physical Aggression in Early Childhood

Different approaches have been used to classify children as relationally aggressive, physically aggressive, or both relationally and physically aggressive (co-occurring aggression). The goal of the current study (N = 164, 50.9% boys, M _age = 47.75 months, SD = 7.37) was to test a bifactor model of aggression, which allows for aggression to be assessed dimensionally, and postulates a co-occurring aggression factor as well as unique relational and physical aggression factors, during early childhood. Aggression was measured using reliable observer and teacher reports of physical and relational aggression subscales. The two-factor model was an adequate fit to the data but the bifactor model was a significant improvement in model fit compared to the two-factor model. Alternative statistics for evaluating bifactor models were used in the current study. The measurement invariance (e.g., configural invariance, metric invariance, and scalar invariance) of the bifactor model was tested across gender and results from the bifactor model using teacher report showed that the model was invariant across gender. Lastly, the criterion validity of the model was examined by evaluating the relations between the bifactor model and observations of physical and relational aggression and results generally supported the validity of the bifactor model. Overall, results suggest that a bifactor model of aggression may be a useful method for studying aggression in early childhood.     

Low Prospects and High Risk: Structural Determinants of Health Associated with Sexual Risk Among Young African American Women Residing in Resource-Poor Communities in the South

African American women at increased risk of HIV/sexually transmitted infection (STI) may engage in risky sex as a coping mechanism for depressed economic conditions. This study examines the association between high-risk sexual behavior and structural determinants of sexual health among a sample of young African American women. 237 young African American women (16–19 years old) from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in North Carolina were enrolled into a randomized trial testing the efficacy of an adapted HIV/STI prevention intervention. Logistic regression analyses predicted the likelihood that young women reporting lack of food at home, homelessness and low future prospects would also report sexual risk behaviors. Young women reporting a lack of food at home (22 %), homelessness (27 %), and low perceived education/employment prospects (19 %) had between 2.2 and 4.7 times the odds as those not reporting these risk factors of reporting multiple sex partners, risky sex partners including older men and partners involved in gangs, substance use prior to sex, and exchange sex. Self-reported structural determinants of sexual health were associated with myriad sexual risk behaviors. Diminished economic conditions among these young women may lead to sexual risk due to hopelessness, the need for survival or other factors.     

The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support: Analyses of Internal Reliability,Measurement Invariance,and Correlates Across Gender

In this study, we examined estimates of internal consistency reliability, measurement invariance, and differential correlates of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS; Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, & Farley, 1988) in samples of undergraduate men (n = 270) and women (n = 340). The MSPSS is designed to assess 3 sources of perceived social support: family, friends, and significant others. The participants ranged in age from 18 to 24 years (M _age = 19.60, SD = 1.4 years). First, composite scale reliability and coefficient omega methods provided adequate estimates of internal consistency reliability for the original MSPSS total and subscale scores. Second, results of multiple-groups invariance confirmatory factor analysis provided support for configural and metric invariance. Partial measurement invariance was attained for scalar and strict measurement invariance across men and women. Additionally, given the high correlations among the first-order factors, we conducted multiple-groups bifactor item response theory (bifactor-IRT) analysis to evaluate further the performances of the individual MSPSS items across gender. Support for the bifactor model was strong. Third, we conducted a series of simultaneous regression analyses to identify potential correlates of the social support construct for women and men.     

Sexual Debut Ages in Heterosexual,Lesbian, Gay,and Bisexual Young Adults in Norway

This study estimates sexual debut ages in young heterosexual, lesbian, gay, and bisexual men and women in Norway. A questionnaire survey was completed online by 27.2 % of a representative national web sample of 2090 persons aged 18–29 years. Three self-selected samples of 924 respondents completed an extended version of the survey online. Lesbian and bisexual women reported earlier experience of orgasm through masturbation than heterosexual women (median 13.1 vs. 15.2 years), and heterosexual men (median 13.5) reported earlier debut than heterosexual women. There was a statistically significant difference between heterosexual and lesbian and bisexual women’s age at the first experience of receptive vaginal sex (median 16.8 vs. 15.4 years). As regards experience of insertive vaginal sex, a significantly higher percentage of heterosexual men than women, and of heterosexual and lesbian and bisexual women, reported experience. It was more common among lesbian and bisexual women than heterosexual women to have had oral sex with another woman, but in neither group did the cumulative percent reach 50 % by the age of 29 years and the median could not be estimated. Gay and bisexual men reported earlier receptive anal sex debut than heterosexual men. With regard to insertive anal sex, gay and bisexual men accumulated experience earlier than heterosexual men, and lesbian and bisexual women acquired this experience earlier than heterosexual women. Compared to heterosexuals, LGB persons of both genders engage in more varied sexual activities. Lesbian and gay persons have same-sex experiences at an earlier age than bisexuals.     

Age and gender differences in morningness-eveningness during adolescence

Morningness-eveningness was assessed in a large sample of adolescents and young adults. Morningness decreased from 12 to 15 years, and then remained on a stable level until about 20 years, when a turn back to morningness occurred. Boys and men were on average more evening-oriented than were girls and women. In detail, significant differences existed at the ages of 16, 18, and 19 years. A quadratic function explained more variance than a linear regression. Composite Scale of Morningness scores are related to puberty scores in boys and girls, and when combining data (i.e., higher pubertal development was related to eveningness).     

Test-Retest Measurement Invariance of Clinic Referred Children’s ADHD Symptoms

This study examined the test-retest measurement invariance of ratings of the ADHD symptoms. Mothers of a group of 217 clinic-referred children (boys?=?169, girls?=?49; age range?=?7 to 17 years) completed ratings of the ADHD symptoms presented in a modified version of the Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD-Symptoms and Normal Behavior Scale (SWAN-M) twice, 12 months apart. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of their ratings at both time points provided more support for the bifactor model of ADHD [orthogonal general and specific factors for inattention (IA) and hyperactivity/impulsivity (HI) symptoms] over the 2-factor oblique model (factors for inattention IA and HI symptoms). For the bifactor model, measurement invariance testing using multiple-group CFA indicated support for configural and full scalar test-retest invariance when the chi-square difference test was applied. For metric invariance, all but one symptom showed invariance. When the differences in approximate fit indices were applied, there was support for full measurement invariance (configural, metric and scalar). The findings indicate that observed scores (based on maternal ratings of the SWAM-M), twelve months apart, are comparable as they have the same measurement properties. Several practical, theoretical, research and clinical implications of the findings are discussed.     

The Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms Distress Index: A pragmatic exploration of general factors to enhance a multidimensional scale

Objective: The authors attempted to develop and validate a general distress index for a multidimensional psychological symptom/outcome measure used in over 300 college counseling centers with more than 100,000 cases annually: the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS). Method: Four models were compared for fit indices (n = 19,247): the existing first-order factor model (without a general factor), a second-order factor model, a bifactor model, and a single factor or “total score” model. In separate clinical and non-clinical samples, concurrent and divergent validity were examined using several well-established measures of psychological symptoms, as well as two-week test–retest and treatment utilization data. Results: Second-order and bifactor models which captured a single “distress” factor both exhibited good fit to the data relative to the baseline and “total score” model. Validity data indicated that factors adequately measured meaningful clinical onstructs. Conclusion: Both the bifactor and second-order models indicated the presence of a “distress index” comprised items across many of the CCAPS subscales. This distress scale has strong applicability for benchmarking the overall severity and complexity of patients at different centers, and can be used to help identify colleges and universities with areas of clinical strength, which can be studied to improve the field. Clinically, the distress index offers a parsimonious and efficient method for clinicians to monitor patients’ progress through treatment.