Abstract

Many physiological functions such as sleep/wakefulness, body temperature, hormonal levels show circadian rhythms, periodic fluctuations with a cycle of 24 hours. These circadian rhythms are thought to influence our cognitive and behavioral functions in many situations such as jobs and school work. And, there are individual differences in circadian rhythms, called "morningness", so that some people consistently prefer day activity (morning type) while others prefer night activity (evening type). The present study explored the relationship between circadian rhythm pattern (measured by the "Circadian Rhythm Scale": Smith, Reilly, & Midkiff, 1989) and psychological adjustment (measured by "College Maladjustment Scale", "Beck's Depression Inventory" and university grades) among 334 university students. It was found that the higher the score in the "Circadian Rhythm Scale" (meaning the higher in morningness) the better adjusted emotionally. The results indicate that circadian rhythm is an important factor to consider in psychological adjustment and that we need to educate university students for the importance of circadian rhythm, especially sleep/wake cycle, in their physical/psychological well-being. If we develop the norms for the "Circadian Rhythm Scale", the scale will be very useful in counseling students for better adjustment in college, as well as in predicting and selecting workers who can adjust better for shiftwork.