The Relationship between Chronotype and Academic Achievement among Slovene University Students: The Mediating Role of Trait Self-Control and Sleep Quality
Abstract
Several studies have identified a relationship between an individual’s chronotype and academic performance. Specifically, individuals with a morning preference often outperform those with an evening preference. Our research explored whether trait self-control and sleep quality mediate this association. We conducted an online survey completed by Slovenian university students. Chronotype, trait self-control, and sleep quality were measured using the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire, the Brief Self-Control Scale, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Additionally, the participants’ academic achievement was assessed using an objective measure (the average grade for the winter 2022/2023 exam period) and a subjective measure (students’ own assessment of their performance compared to their peers). The results show that all researched concepts are positively correlated. Additionally, mediation analyses revealed that trait self-control significantly mediated the relationship between chronotype and both measures of academic achievement. Conversely, while sleep quality did not mediate the relationship between chronotype and objective academic achievement, it did partially mediate the relationship between chronotype and the subjective achievement measure. These insights provide a novel comprehension of the intrinsic modalities that might link chronotype and academic performance.
Downloads
References
Adan, A., Archer, S. N., Hidalgo, M. P., Di Milia, L., Natale, V., & Randler, C. (2012). Circadian typology: a comprehensive review. Chronobiology International, 29(9), 1153–1175. https://doi.org/10.3109/07420528.2012.719971
Adan, A., Fabbri, M., Natale, V., & Prat, G. (2006). Sleep Beliefs Scale (SBS) and circadian typology. Journal of Sleep Research, 15(2), 125–132. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2006.00509.x
Arbabi, T., Vollmer, C., Dörfler, T., & Randler, C. (2015). The influence of chronotype and intelligence on academic achievement in primary school is mediated by conscientiousness, midpoint of sleep and motivation. Chronobiology International, 32(3), 349–357. https://doi.org/10.3109/07420528.2014.980508
Bahammam, A. S., Alaseem, A. M., Alzakri, A. A., Almeneessier, A. S., & Sharif, M. M. (2012). The relationship between sleep and wake habits and academic performance in medical students: a crosssectional study. BMC Medical Education, 12(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6920-12-61
Baumeister, R. F., Vohs, K. D., & Tice, D. M. (2007). The Strength Model of Self- Control. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16(6), 351–355. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2007.00534.x
Bavarsad, M. B., Azimi, N., Moradbeigi, K., & Latifi, M. (2015). Associations between morningness- eveningness and sleep quality among female dormitory residents. Sleep, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.5812/thrita.25088
Bernecker, K., & Job, V. (2020). Too exhausted to go to bed: Implicit theories about willpower and stress predict bedtime procrastination. British Journal of Psychology, 111(1), 126–147. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12382
Bollu, P. C., & Kaur, H. (2019). Sleep medicine: insomnia and sleep. Missouri Medicine, 116(1), 68–75.
Buysse, D. J., Reynolds III, C. F., Monk, T. H., Berman, S. R., & Kupfer, D. J. (1989). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: a new instrument for psychiatric practice and research. Psychiatry Research, 28(2), 193–213. https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-1781(89)90047-4
Caci, H., Robert, P., & Boyer, P. (2004). Novelty seekers and impulsive subjects are low in morningness. European Psychiatry, 19(2), 79–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2003.09.007
Carciofo, R., Du, F., Song, N., & Zhang, K. (2014). Mind Wandering, Sleep Quality, Affect and Chronotype: An Exploratory Study. PLoS one, 9(3). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0091285
Dancey, C. P., & Reidy, J. (2007). Statistics without maths for psychology. Pearson Education.
Digdon, N. L., & Howell, A. J. (2008). College students who have an eveningness preference report lower self‐control and greater procrastination. Chronobiology International, 25(6), 1029–1046. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420520802553671
Edinger, J. D., Wohlgemuth, W. K., Radtke, R. A., Marsh, G. R., & Quillian, R. E. (2001). Does cognitive-behavioral insomnia therapy alter dysfunctional beliefs about sleep?. Sleep, 24(5), 591–599. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/24.5.591
El Hangouche, A. J., Jniene, A., Aboudrar, S., Errguig, L., Rkain, H., Cherti, M., & Dakka, T. (2018). Relationship between poor quality sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness and low academic performance in medical students. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 9, 631–638. https://doi.org/10.2147/AMEP.S162350
Enright, T., & Refinetti, R. (2017). Chronotype, class times, and academic achievement of university students. Chronobiology International, 34(4), 445–450. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2017.1281287
Fabbian, F., Zucchi, B., De Giorgi, A., Tiseo, R., Boari, B., Salmi, R., Cappadona, R., Gianesini, G., Bassi, E., Signani, F., Raparelli, V., Basili, S., & Manfredini, R. (2016). Chronotype, gender and general health. Chronobiology International, 33(7), 863–882. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2016.1176927
Figueiredo, S. (2024). Chronotypes, Disruptive Behaviour, and Schedules in Classrooms: ‘Morningness’ and Psychomotor Agitation. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 14(2), 131–154. https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1454
Gomes, A. A., Tavares, J., & de Azevedo, M. H. P. (2011). Sleep and Academic Performance in Under Sleep and Academic Performance in Under- graduates: A Multi-measure, Multi-predictor Approach. Chronobiology International, 28(9), 786–801. https://doi.org/10.3109/07420528.2011.606518
Gordeeva, T. O., Osin, E. N., Suchkov, D. D., Ivanova, T. Y., Sychev, O. A., & Bobrov, V. V. (2017). Self-Control as a personal resource: determining its relationships to success, perseverance, and wellbeing. Russian Education in Society, 59(5-6), 231–255. https://doi.org/10.1080/10609393.2017.1408367
Hair, J., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2010). Multivariate data analysis (7th ed.). Pearson Educational International.
Hawi, N. S., & Samaha, M. (2016). To excel or not to excel: strong evidence on the adverse effect of smartphone addiction on academic performance. Computers & Education, 98, 81–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2016.03.007
Hayes, A. F. (2013). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: a regression-based approach. Guilford Press.
Horne, J. A., & Östberg, O. (1976). A self-assessment questionnaire to determine morningness- eveningness in human circadian rhythms. International Journal of Chronobiology, 4, 97–110.
Kabrita, C. S., Hajjar-Muça, T. A., & Duffy, J. F. (2014). Predictors of poor sleep quality among Lebanese university students: association between evening typology, lifestyle behaviors, and sleep habits. Nature and Science of Sleep, 6, 11–19. https://doi.org/10.2147/nss.s55538
Kang, J. I., Park, C. I., Sohn, S. Y., Kim, H. W., Namkoong, K., & Kim, S. J. (2015). Circadian preference and trait impulsivity, sensation-seeking and response inhibition in healthy young adults. Chronobiology International, 32(2), 235–241. https://doi.org/10.3109/07420528.2014.965313
King, R. B., & Gaerlan, M. J. M. (2013). High self-control predicts more positive emotions, better engagement, and higher achievement in school. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 29(1), 81–100. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-013-0188-z
Košir, T. (2021). Psychometric Properties of the Slovene Version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. [Master thesis, University of Maribor]. Digital library of University of Maribor. https://dk.um.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=slv&id=78946
Lee, K., Lee, H. K., Jhung, K., & Park, J. Y. (2017). Relationship between chronotype and temperament/character among university students. Psychiatry Research, 251, 63–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2017.01.071
Mao, T., Pan, W., Zhu, Y., Yang, J., Dong, Q., & Zhou, G. (2018). Self-control mediates the relationship between personality trait and impulsivity. Personality and Individual Differences, 129, 70–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2018.03.013
Maučec, K., Košir, K., & Štukovnik, V. (2023, October 4–6). Chronotype and academic achievement in university students: is there a mediating role of self-control and sleep quality? [Poster presentation]. eSleep Europe Virtual Congress 2023, Regensburg, Germany. https://esleepeurope.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/CHRONOTYPE-AND-ACADEMIC-ACHIEVEMENT-IN-UNIVERSITY-STUDENTS-IS-THERE-A-MEDIATING-ROLE-OF-SELF-CONTROL-AND-SLEEP-QUALITY_.pdf
Merikanto, I., Kronholm, E., Peltonen, M., Laatikainen, T., Lahti, T., & Partonen, T. (2012). Relation of Chronotype to Sleep Complaints in the General Finnish Population. Chronobiology International, 29(3), 311–317. https://doi.org/10.3109/07420528.2012.655870
Milfont, T. L., & Schwarzenthal, M. (2014). Explaining why larks are future-oriented and owls are present-oriented: self-control mediates the chronotype–time perspective relationships. Chronobiology International, 31(4), 581–588. https://doi.org/10.3109/07420528.2013.876428
Mirghani, H. O. (2017). The effect of chronotype (morningness/eveningness) on medical students’ academic achievement in Sudan. Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences, 12(6), 512–516. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtumed.2017.03.007
Mirghani, H. O., Mohammed, O. S., Almurtadha, Y. M., & Ahmed, M. S. (2015). Good sleep quality is associated with better academic performance among Sudanese medical students. BMC Research Notes, 8(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-015-1712-9
Monk, T. H., Buysse, D. J., Potts, J. M., DeGrazia, J. M., & Kupfer, D. J. (2004). Morningness-eveningness and lifestyle regularity. Chronobiology International, 21(3), 435–443. https://doi.org/10.1081/CBI-120038614
Monk, T. H., Reynolds, C. F., Buysse, D. J., DeGrazia, J. M., & Kupfer, D. J. (2003). The Relationship Between Lifestyle Regularity and Subjective Sleep Quality. Chronobiology International, 20(1), 97–107. https://doi.org/10.1081/cbi-120017812
Montaruli, A., Castelli, L., Galasso, L., Mulè, A., Bruno, E., Esposito, F., Caumo, A., & Roveda, E. (2019). Effect of chronotype on academic achievement in a sample of Italian university students. Chronobiology International, 36(11), 1482–1495. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2019.1652831 z
Ohayon, M., Wickwire, E. M., Hirshkowitz, M., Albert, S. M., Avidan, A., Daly, F. J. Dauvilliers, Y., Ferri, R., Fung, C., Gozal, D., Hazen, N., Krystal, A., Lichstein, K., Mallampalli, M., Plazzi, G., Rawding, R., Scheer, F. A., Somers, V., & Vitiello, M. V. (2017). National Sleep Foundation’s sleep quality recommendations: first report. Sleep Health, 3(1), 6–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2016.11.006
Okano, K., Kaczmarzyk, J. R., Dave, N., Gabrieli, J. D., & Grossman, J. C. (2019). Sleep quality, duration, and consistency are associated with better academic performance in college students. NPJ Science of Learning, 4(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-019-0055-z
Önder, İ., Beşoluk, Ş., İskender, M., Masal, E., & Demirhan, E. (2014). Circadian Preferences, Sleep Quality and Sleep Patterns, Personality, Academic Motivation and Academic Achievement of univer of university students. Learning and Individual Differences, 32, 184–192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2014.02.003
Ong, J. C., Huang, J. S., Kuo, T. F., & Manber, R. (2007). Characteristics of insomniacs with self- reported morning and evening chronotypes. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 3(3), 289–294. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.26801
Partonen, T. (2015). Chronotype and health outcomes. Current Sleep Medicine Reports, 1, 205–211. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40675-015-0022-z
Paul, F., Schredl, M., & Alpers, G. W. (2015). Nightmares affect the experience of sleep quality but not sleep architecture: an ambulatory polysomnographic study. Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation, 2, 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40479-014-0023-4
Peters, B. R., Joireman, J., & Ridgway, R. L. (2005). Individual differences in the consideration of future consequences scale correlate with sleep habits, sleep quality, and GPA in university students. Psychological Reports, 96(3), 817–824. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.96.3.817-824
Pokhrel, P., Sussman, S., Sun, P., Kniazer, V., & Masagutov, R. (2010). Social self- control, sensation seeking and substance use in samples of US and Russian adolescents. American Journal of Health Behavior, 34(3), 374–384. https://doi.org/10.5993/AJHB.34.3.12
Prat, G., & Adan, A. (2013). Relationships among circadian typology, psychological symptoms, and sensation seeking. Chronobiology International, 30(7), 942–949. https://doi.org/10.3109/07420528.2013.790044
Preckel, F., Lipnevich, A. A., Schneider, S., & Roberts, R. D. (2011). Chronotype, cognitive abilities, and academic achievement: a meta-analytic investigation. Learning and Individual Differences, 21(5), 483–492. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2011.07.003
Przepiórka, A., Błachnio, A., & Siu, N. Y. F. (2019). The relationships between self-efficacy, self-control, chronotype, procrastination and sleep problems in young adults. Chronobiology International, 36(8), 1025–1035. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2019.1607370
Rahafar, A., Maghsudloo, M., Farhangnia, S., Vollmer, C., & Randler, C. (2016). The role of chronotype, gender, test anxiety, and conscientiousness in academic achievement of high school students. Chronobiology International, 33(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.3109/07420528.2015.1107084
Randjelovic, P., Stojiljkovic, N., Radulovic, N., Stojanovic, N., & Ilic, I. (2021). Problematic smartphone use, screen time and chronotype correlations in university students. European Addiction Research, 27(1), 67–74. https://doi.org/10.1159/000506738
Roeser, K., Schlarb, A. A., & Kübler, A. (2013). The Chronotype-Academic Performance Model (CAM): daytime sleepiness and learning motivation link chronotype and school performance in adolescents. Personality and Individual Differences, 54(7), 836–840. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2012.12.021
Selvi, F. F., Karakaş, S. A., Boysan, M., & Selvi, Y. (2015). Effects of shift work on attention deficit, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, and their relationship with chronotype. Biological Rhythm Research, 46(1), 53–61. https://doi.org/10.1080/09291016.2014.948299
Selvi, Y., Aydin, A., Atli, A., Boysan, M., Selvi, F., & Besiroglu, L. (2011). Chronotype differences in suicidal behavior and impulsivity among suicide attempters. Chronobiology International, 28(2), 170–175. https://doi.org/10.3109/07420528.2010.535938
Servidio, R. (2019). Self-control and problematic smartphone use among Italian university students: the mediating role of the fear of missing out and of smartphone use patterns. Current Psychology, 40(8), 4101–4111. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00373-z
Short, M. A., Gradisar, M., Lack, L. C., & Wright, H. R. (2013). The impact of sleep on adolescent depressed mood, alertness and academic performance. Journal of Adolescence, 36(6), 1025–1033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2013.08
Stadler, M., Aust, M., Becker, N., Niepel, C., & Greiff, S. (2016). Choosing between what you want now and what you want most: self-control explains academic achievement beyond cognitive ability. Personality and Individual Differences, 94, 168–172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.01.029
Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination. Psychological Bulletin, 133, 65–94. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.65
Stolarski, M., Ledzińska, M., & Matthews, G. (2013). Morning is tomorrow, evening is today: relationships between chronotype and time perspective. Biological Rhythm Research, 44(2), 181–196. https://doi.org/10.1080/09291016.2012.656248
Sun, J., Chen, M., Cai, W., Wang, Z., Wu, S., Sun, X., & Liu, H. (2019). Chronotype: implications for sleep quality in medical students. Chronobiology International, 38(6), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2019.1619181
Taillard, J., Philip, P., & Bioulac, B. (2002). Morningness/eveningness and the need for sleep. Journal of Sleep Research, 8(4), 291–295. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2869.1999.00176.x
Tangney, J. P., Baumeister, R. F., & Boone, A. L. (2004). High self‐control predicts good adjustment, less pathology, better grades, and interpersonal success. Journal of Personality, 72(2), 271–324. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0022-3506.2004.00263.x
Tian, J., Zhao, J., Xu, J., Li, Q., Sun, T., Zhao, C., Gao, R., Zhu, L., Guo, H., Yang, L., Cao, D., & Zhang, S. (2021). Mobile phone addiction and academic procrastination negatively impact academic achievement among Chinese medical students. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.758303
Tonetti, L., Natale, V., & Randler, C. (2015). Association between circadian preference and academic achievement: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Chronobiology International, 32(6), 792–801. https://doi.org/10.3109/07420528.2015.1049271
Treven Pišljar, N., Štukovnik, V., Zager Kocjan, G., & Dolenc-Groselj, L. (2019). Validity and reliability of the Slovene version of the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire. Chronobiology International, 36(10), 1409–1417. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2019.1651326
Vitaterna, M. H., Takahashi, J. S., & Turek, F. W. (2001). Overview of circadian rhythms. Alcohol Research & Health, 25(2), 85–93.
Vollmer, C., Jankowski, K. S., Díaz-Morales, J. F., Itzek-Greulich, H., Wüst- Ackermann, P., & Randler, C. (2017). Morningness–eveningness correlates with sleep time, quality, and hygiene in secondary school students: a multilevel analysis. Sleep Medicine, 30, 151–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2016.09.022
Wang, L. (2014). Body mass index, obesity, and self-control: A comparison of chronotypes. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 42(2), 313–320. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2014.42.2.313
Wang, L., & Hu, L. (2015). Are Early Birds More Disciplined? A Social Jet Lag Perspective. Current Psychology, 35(4), 495–505. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-015-9322-1
Wittmann, M., Dinich, J., Merrow, M., & Roenneberg, T. (2006). Social jetlag: misalignment of biological and social time. Chronobiology International, 23(1-2), 497–509. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420520500545979
Wong, M. L., Lau, E. Y. Y., Wan, J. H. Y., Cheung, S. F., Hui, C. H., & Mok, D. S. Y. (2013). The interplay between sleep and mood in predicting academic functioning, physical health and psychological health: A longitudinal study. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 74(4), 271–277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2012.08
Yi, H., Shin, K., & Shin, C. (2006). Development of the Sleep Quality Scale. Journal of Sleep Research, 15(3), 309–316. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2006.00544.x
Zailinawati, A. H., Teng, C. L., Chung, Y. C., Teow, T. L., Lee, P. N., & Jagmohni, K. S. (2009). Daytime sleepiness and sleep quality among Malaysian medical students. The Medical Journal of Malaysia, 64(2), 108–110.
Zerbini, G., & Merrow, M. (2017). Time to learn: how chronotype impacts education. PsyCh journal, 6(4), 263–276. https://doi.org/10.1002/pchj.178
Zerbini, G., van der Vinne, V., Otto, L. K. M., Kantermann, T., Krijnen, W. P., Roenneberg, T., & Merrow, M. (2017). Lower school performance in late chronotypes: underlying factors and mechanisms. Scientific Reports, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-04076-y
Zhang, C., Meng, D., Zhu, L., Ma, X., Guo, J., Fu, Y., Zhao, Y., Xu, H., & Mu, L. (2023). The effect of trait anxiety on bedtime procrastination: the mediating role of self-control. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 30(2), 260–267. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-022-10089-3
Zhao, J., Meng, G., Sun, Y., Xu, Y., Geng, J., & Han, L. (2021). The relationship between self-control and procrastination based on the self-regulation theory perspective: the moderated mediation model. Current Psychology, 40, 5076–5086. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00442-3
Zorjan, S. (2014). Individual differences and ego depletion effect: the effect of implicit beliefs on selfcontrol. [Master thesis, University of Maribor]. Digital library of University of Maribor. https://dk.um.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=slv&id=46567
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors are confirming that they are the authors of the submitted article, which will be published online in the Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal (for short: CEPS Journal) by University of Ljubljana Press (University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education, Kardeljeva ploščad 16, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia). The Author’s/Authors’ name(s) will be evident in the article in the journal. All decisions regarding layout and distribution of the work are in the hands of the publisher.
- The Authors guarantee that the work is their own original creation and does not infringe any statutory or common-law copyright or any proprietary right of any third party. In case of claims by third parties, authors commit themselves to defend the interests of the publisher, and shall cover any potential costs.
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
