First Name:
Emily
Last Name:
Antolic
Major Department:
Psychology
Thesis Director:
David Dickinson
Date of Thesis:
Dec 2010
Many industrial workers and students find it difficult to concentrate and perform well when their natural sleep cycle is disturbed. This study examined how circadian rhythm, exercise habits, and the time of day interact to better understand the relationship these factors have upon concentration. The working hypothesis of this study was that concentration is adversely affected by unhealthy habits or suboptimal schedules. A 2x2 between subjects factorial design examined attention focus at distinct times of day. An equal balance of morning type and evening type subjects were randomly matched or mismatched to their preferred time-of-day ("circadian match" or "circadian mismatch") and asked to perform a concentration task. Subjects additionally provided self-reported exercise habit data and stress level data as part of the experiment. The results indicate that neither exercise habits nor time of day significantly influenced concentration, but it was the individuals circadian type that significantly affected concentration. Evening type people appear to have higher concentration times and fewer concentration lapses during the observed times of day. Further research should examine why and how circadian types advantage or disadvantage concentration and perhaps other mental performances.