Night Owls and Risk: Impulsivity as a Mediating Variable for the Relationship Between Eveningness and Risk-Taking

Publication Date

Spring 4-22-2026

College

College of Sciences & Mathematics

Department

Psychological Science, Department of

Student Level

Undergraduate

Faculty Mentor

Amber Turner

Metadata/Fulltext

Metadata ONLY

Presentation Type

Talk/Oral

Summary

Morningness and eveningness are the two types of chronotypes, a person’s natural inclination when they prefer to sleep, as identified by scientists. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between chronotype and risk-taking behaviors, especially if impulsivity is the mediating link between the two factors. Previous research suggests a significant relationship between chronotype and impulsivity, but there hasn’t been a clear explanation of its effect on risk-taking behavior. To understand these relationships more deeply, our group sent out an online survey to Belmont University students. The study was performed via a Qualtrics survey with 50 participants, all of whom were over 18 years of age. The survey included three sections each containing a different measure: The BIS-11 measuring impulsivity, the GRiPS measuring risk-taking propensity, and the MEQ measuring the participants’ diurnal preference. The present study hypothesized that impulsivity will be positively associated with risk-taking behaviors, an individual with a later chronotype, also known as eveningness, will be associated with a higher impulsivity score, later chronotype will positively correlate with greater risk-taking behavior, and impulsivity will mediate the relationship between chronotype and risk-taking behavior. This study has implications in mental wellness, understanding behavioral issues or impulsive behaviors such as substance abuse, and understanding cognitive functioning dependent on time of day.

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