Nature and Science of Sleep (Jul 2021)

Time Perspective and Bedtime Procrastination: The Role of the Chronotype–Time Perspective Relationship

  • Meng D,
  • Zhao Y,
  • Guo J,
  • Xu H,
  • Fu Y,
  • Ma X,
  • Zhu L,
  • Mu L

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 13
pp. 1307 – 1318

Abstract

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Dexin Meng,1,* Ying Zhao,2,3,* Jing Guo,2,3 Huiying Xu,4 Yiming Fu,2,3 Xiaohan Ma,2,3 Liwei Zhu,2,3 Li Mu2,3 1Department of Physiology, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, People’s Republic of China; 2Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, Liaoning Province, People’s Republic of China; 3Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Province, Dalian, Liaoning Province, People’s Republic of China; 4School of Clinical Medicine, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Li MuResearch Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, No. 850 Huanghe Road, Shahekou District, Dalian, 116029, Liaoning Province, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail [email protected]: Bedtime procrastination (BP) has a close relationship with one’s chronotype, from a biological perspective on time. However, it remains unknown whether there is an association between BP and psychological time. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between time perspective (TP) and BP and the effect of TP on the relationship between BP and chronotype by examining a sample of college students pre- and post-COVID-19 outbreak.Methods: A total of 628 Chinese students (267 in pre-outbreak and 361 in post-outbreak) validly completed the Chinese version of the Bedtime Procrastination Scale, the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI), and the Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire.Results: Students with more BP behaviors exhibited greater deviation from a balanced TP, especially after the COVID-19 outbreak. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the past-negative and future orientations, as operationalized by the ZTPI, contributed independently to BP behaviors. The structural equation modeling analyses further demonstrated that morningness was significantly related to a more future-oriented TP, which in turn decreased BP in pre- and post-COVID-19 outbreak samples, while morningness was associated with a less past-negative-oriented TP, which in turn decreased BP only in the post-COVID-19 outbreak sample.Conclusion: This study indicated that TP in students with BP predominantly focused on future orientation and that TP can mediate the relationship between chronotype and BP behaviors. However, the COVID-19 pandemic may disrupt the time flow and change the role of chronotype–TP in BP. These findings explain how individual differences in TP are associated with BP, which may be helpful in designing effective interventions to avoid BP, from the viewpoint of time perspective therapy.Keywords: bedtime procrastination, deviation from balanced time perspective, future time perspective, morningness, past negative time perspective, COVID-19

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