The relationship between circadian, personality, and temperament characteristics and attitude towards shiftwork

This study aimed to find out whether and to what extent circadian and personality characteristics contribute in determining attitude towards shiftwork. Two groups of female steel plant shift- (n = 54) and dayworkers (n = 54) were matched for age, job tenure, marital status, number, and age of children. The control group was made up of 2 subgroups of dayworkers with (n = 29) and without (n = 25) shiftwork experience. The subjects answered questionnaires on morningness, flexibility, languidity, neuroticism, extroversion, reactivity, and attitude towards shiftwork. Correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were performed on the data of experimental group and control subgroups separately. Amongst current shiftworkers, the best predictors of attitude towards shiftwork were flexibility of sleeping habits and the ability to overcome drowsiness. Amongst former shiftworkers attitude was determined primarily by reactivity, but in the dayworkers without shiftwork experience no predictors of the attitude were found. The results imply that circadian and personality characteristics related to shiftwork adjustment contribute in determining attitude towards shiftwork.