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Morningness-eveningness in adolescents
Juan Francisco Díaz-Morales1, María Gutiérrez Sorroche
1Departamento Psicología Diferencial y Trabajo, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain. juanfcodiaz@psi.ucm.es
The Spanish Journal of Psychology
|July 18, 2008
Summary
Morningness-eveningness preferences shift towards eveningness in adolescents after age 12. This study translated the Morningness-Eveningness Scale for Children (MESC) and found boys to be more morningness-oriented than girls.
Area of Science:
- Chronobiology
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Individual differences in morningness-eveningness influence daily behavioral and biological rhythms.
- Morningness preference generally increases with adulthood and aging.
- Adolescents typically experience a shift from morningness to eveningness during puberty.
Purpose of the Study:
- To translate the Morningness-Eveningness Scale for Children (MESC) into Spanish.
- To investigate age-related and sex-related differences in chronotype among adolescents.
Main Methods:
- The study involved 600 adolescents aged 12–16 years.
- Psychometric analysis was conducted to assess reliability and factor structure of the translated MESC.
- Age and sex differences in morningness-eveningness were analyzed.
Main Results:
- The Spanish version of the MESC demonstrated suitable reliability and factor structure.
- A significant decrease in morningness preference was observed starting at age 12.
- Boys exhibited a greater morningness orientation than girls on several questionnaire items.
Conclusions:
- The translated MESC is a valid tool for assessing chronotype in Spanish-speaking adolescents.
- Adolescent chronotype shifts towards eveningness with age, with notable sex differences.
- Findings suggest potential educational implications for scheduling and learning environments.
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