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A pictorial sleepiness scale based on cartoon faces
Claudia C Maldonado1, Alison J Bentley, Duncan Mitchell
1Wits Dial-A-Bed Sleep Laboratory, Brain Function Research Unit, School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. sleep@physiology.wits.ac.za
Sleep
|May 29, 2004
Summary
A new cartoon face scale effectively measures sleepiness in diverse populations, including children and shiftworkers. This visual tool is validated against existing scales and suitable for various research and clinical applications.
Area of Science:
- Sleep research
- Psychometrics
- Developmental psychology
Background:
- Conventional sleepiness scales may have limitations for certain populations.
- A need exists for a universally accessible sleepiness assessment tool.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a novel sleepiness scale using cartoon faces.
- To ensure the scale is free from semantic or geometric biases.
- To assess its applicability in diverse age groups and occupational settings.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Thurstone's scaling procedure on ranked cartoon faces representing sleepiness.
- Validated the scale against established sleepiness measures (Karolinska, Stanford, VAS).
- Assessed practical utility in shiftworkers and school-going children.
Main Results:
- The cartoon face scale demonstrated significant correlations with established sleepiness scales.
- Identified sleepiness patterns in shiftworkers and children throughout their work/school day.
- Confirmed the scale's independence from emotional states like pain, anger, or happiness.
Conclusions:
- A novel, visually-based sleepiness scale has been successfully developed.
- The scale is suitable for individuals with limited literacy or cognitive abilities.
- Potential applications include diagnostic, therapeutic, and research settings for sleepiness assessment.