TY - JOUR
T1 - What are we measuring with the morningness–eveningness questionnaire? Exploratory factor analysis across four samples from two countries
AU - Panjeh, Sareh
AU - Pompeia, Sabine
AU - Archer, Simon N.
AU - Pedrazzoli, Mario
AU - von Schantz, Malcolm
AU - Cogo-Moreira, Hugo
N1 - This work was supported by the Associação Fundo de Incentivo à Pesquisa; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico [480894/2012-4 and 301200/2016-5]; Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior [Finance code 001, 88887.505415/2020-00]; Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado [074293] de São Paulo [2011/05804-5 and 2013/17368-0]; Wellcome Trust.
PY - 2021/2/1
Y1 - 2021/2/1
N2 - Individual variability in diurnal preference or chronotype is commonly assessed with self-report scales such as the widely used morningness–eveningness questionnaire (MEQ). We sought to investigate the MEQ’s internal consistency by applying exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to determine the number of underlying latent factors in four different adult samples, two each from the United Kingdom and Brazil (total N = 3,457). We focused on factors that were apparent in all samples, irrespective of particular sociocultural diversity and geographical characteristics, so as to show a common core reproducible structure across samples. Results showed a three-factor solution with acceptable to good model fit indexes in all studied populations. Twelve of the 19 MEQ items in the three-correlated factor solution loaded onto the same factors across the four samples. This shows that the scale measures three distinguishable, yet correlated constructs: (1) items related to how people feel in the morning, which we termed efficiency of dissipation of sleep pressure (recovery process) (items 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 13, and 19); (2) items related to how people feel before sleep, which we called sensitivity to buildup of sleep pressure (items 2, 10, and 12); and (3) peak time of cognitive arousal (item 11). Although the third factor was not regarded as consistent since only one item was common among all samples, it might represent subjective amplitude. These results suggested that the latent constructs of the MEQ reflect dissociable homeostatic processes in addition to a less consistent propensity for cognitive arousal at different times of the day. By analyzing answers to MEQ items that compose these latent factors, it may be possible to extract further knowledge of factors that affect morningness–eveningness.
AB - Individual variability in diurnal preference or chronotype is commonly assessed with self-report scales such as the widely used morningness–eveningness questionnaire (MEQ). We sought to investigate the MEQ’s internal consistency by applying exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to determine the number of underlying latent factors in four different adult samples, two each from the United Kingdom and Brazil (total N = 3,457). We focused on factors that were apparent in all samples, irrespective of particular sociocultural diversity and geographical characteristics, so as to show a common core reproducible structure across samples. Results showed a three-factor solution with acceptable to good model fit indexes in all studied populations. Twelve of the 19 MEQ items in the three-correlated factor solution loaded onto the same factors across the four samples. This shows that the scale measures three distinguishable, yet correlated constructs: (1) items related to how people feel in the morning, which we termed efficiency of dissipation of sleep pressure (recovery process) (items 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 13, and 19); (2) items related to how people feel before sleep, which we called sensitivity to buildup of sleep pressure (items 2, 10, and 12); and (3) peak time of cognitive arousal (item 11). Although the third factor was not regarded as consistent since only one item was common among all samples, it might represent subjective amplitude. These results suggested that the latent constructs of the MEQ reflect dissociable homeostatic processes in addition to a less consistent propensity for cognitive arousal at different times of the day. By analyzing answers to MEQ items that compose these latent factors, it may be possible to extract further knowledge of factors that affect morningness–eveningness.
KW - Chronotype
KW - circadian rhythms
KW - diurnal preference
KW - factor analysis
KW - sleep homeostasis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85091732780&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/07420528.2020.1815758
DO - 10.1080/07420528.2020.1815758
M3 - Article
C2 - 32993374
AN - SCOPUS:85091732780
SN - 0742-0528
VL - 38
SP - 234
EP - 247
JO - Chronobiology International
JF - Chronobiology International
IS - 2
ER -