The impact of chronotype on prosocial behavior

Abstract

Introduction Chronotype (morningness/eveningness) is associated with preference for the timing of many types of behavior, most notably sleep. Chronotype is also associated with differences in the timing of various physiologic events as well as aspects of personality. One aspect linked to personality, prosocial behavior, has not been studied before in the context of chronotype. There are many variables contributing to who, when, and why one human might help another and some of these factors appear fixed, while some change over time or with the environment. It was our intent to examine prosocial behavior in the context of chronotype and environment. Methods Randomly selected adults (N = 100, ages 18–72) were approached in a public space and asked to participate in a study. If the participants consented (n = 81), they completed the reduced Morning-Eveningness Questionnaire and the Stanford Sleepiness Scale, then prosocial behavior was assessed. Results/Conclusions We found that people exhibited greater prosocial behavior when they were studied further from their preferred time of day. This did not appear to be associated with subjective sleepiness or other environmental variables, such as ambient illumination. This suggests the importance of appreciating the differentiation between the same individual’s prosocial behavior at different times of day. Future studies should aim at replicating this result in larger samples and across other measures of prosocial behavior.

Do early birds share their worms? How empathy and prosociality vary across the course of the day

“…Recent studies have thus sought more ecologically valid evidence for circadian effects on prosocial behaviour, with surprising results. In contrast to the morning morality and synchrony effects inconsistently found in the lab, grocery store cashiers were more likely to overcharge customers in the morning ("morning immorality"; Vranka et al, 2019) and people waiting for a train were more likely to volunteer their time during times that were mis-matched with their chronotype (during their "off-times"; Solomon & Zeitzer, 2019). Intriguingly, this initial evidence suggests that -in real life -people may be more likely to behave prosocially later in the day, rather than earlier in the day, and during times that are mismatched, rather than matched, to their chronotype.…”

An Optimal Time for Treatment—Predicting Circadian Time by Machine Learning and Mathematical Modelling

“…The chronotype attempts to classify a subject as a “morning” or “evening” person [ 50 ]. Around 30% of individuals are classified as morning type, 20% as evening type while the remaining 50% are considered to have a chronotype in between the two extremes [ 51 ]. One of the simplest ways to estimate the chronotype is via a structured questionnaire.…”

Asociación entre la comunicación oral y escrita, la calidad del sueño y los niveles de somnolencia en estudiantes de ingeniería

“…Lo anterior ha sido en parte explicado desde la disciplina de la psicoinmunología, a consecuencia de la secreción de los receptores de oxitocinas propias de las interacciones sociales altamente satisfactorias, condición que contribuye a la contención de los eventos estresantes adversos, y por esta vía, incide en el mantenimiento de un estado de salud óptimo (Marsh et al, 2020). Siendo así, varias condiciones fisiológicas y caracterológicas tendrían una implicancia promotora o en su defecto inhibidora en la calidad del sueño, como en el caso del cronotipo (matutino v/s vespertino) y su asociación con la preferencia por varios tipos de comportamientos de autocuidado, sobre todo los hábitos de descanso y sueño (Solomon y Zeitzer, 2019). En consecuencia, la vinculación entre la calidad de sueño, elementos caracterológicos, la inclinación social y la habilidad comunicativo-verbal en la interacción directa con otras personas, son todos elementos que pueden ser entendidos como mediadores de la calidad de vida yfinalmente -podrían terciar en la calidad del manejo que el estudiante tiene respecto de su dormir y descanso en periodos de exigencia y estrés.…”