ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN STUDENTS' HABITUAL SLEEP PATTERNS AND THEIR EMOTIONAL RECOGNITION

Abstract

This thesis explored the relationship between college students’ habitual sleep patterns and emotional recognition ability, particularly for anger and disgust. These two emotions can denote sensitivity to social cues, a skill essential to healthy interpersonal functioning. 121 participants aged 19-30 (66.12% female) completed at least 80% of a 5-part questionnaire probing their sleep patterns, sleep quality, social dexterity, and emotional recognition ability. Longer workday sleep duration was associated with better overall emotional recognition (r = .19, p = .047). Accurate anger recognition was associated with both longer workdays (r = .28, p = .004) and non-workdays (r = .24, p = .012) sleep duration. Longer afternoon nap durations were significantly associated with better disgust recognition (r = .32, p < .001); habitual nappers (napping ≥ 1/week) were more accurate than non-habitual nappers (napping ≤ 1/week) at overall emotional recognition (t(106) = 2.06, p = .042). Sleep quality was not significantly associated with emotional recognition ability (p > .06). Trait RS levels moderated the association between non-workday sleep duration and disgust recognition (ΔR2 = .037, p =.047). The results inform on how habitual sleep habits can be associated with accurate emotional recognition, a skill essential in successful social interactions.