Morningness–Eveningness and Risk Taking

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Depending on individual differences in biological rhythms and diurnal preferences, people have long been described as either “larks” or “owls.” Larks and owls differ greatly in personality aspects, but from the behavioral perspective it is unclear whether they have significant differences in terms of risky behaviors. Whether morning types or evening types are consistently more risk-taking or risk-averse in different domains remains unknown. This study adopted a general American adult sample to systematically investigate the relationship between chronotype and individuals’ risky behaviors in different domains. By using different methods to measure risky behaviors in different domains, the current research obtained convergent results that morningness was negatively related only to financially risky behaviors for American adults. More specifically, by using the composite scale of morningness and the domain-specific risk attitude scale, Study 1 showed that for American adults, morning types were less likely than evening types to engage in financially risky behaviors (N = 212). In Study 2, after scenario-based methods were used to measure risky behavior, results showed that that participants engaged less in risky behaviors in the domains of gambling and investment (N = 187). A mediator test showed that the negative relationship between morningness and financially risky behaviors was partly mediated by individuals’ self-control ability (self-control scale, Study 1).

Keywords:

• chronotype
• morningness–eveningness
• risky behavior
• self-control

Notes

¹Because two subjects’ age information was not available, only 210 subjects’ data were used in the regression function.

²Because morningness was negatively related to risk quotient in gambling, regardless of the domain (loss vs. gain), we averaged risk quotient in the loss [F(3,183) = 4.79, p =.003; R² =.07; β = –.18, t (183) = –2.42, p =.017] and gain domains [F(3,183) = 3.21, p =.02; R² =.05; β = –.18, t (183) = 2.33, p =.021] to create the risk quotient for gambling situations.