Abstract:
Recent research provides evidence for the negative social perceptions of evening chronotypes and their consequences on mental health. However, there is a lack of studies indicating whether these negative, socially shared beliefs may become internalized in negative self-perceptions of evening-types (E-types). The present article provides a seminal empirical analysis of the role of self-liking and self-competence in the associations between chronotype and both depressiveness and well-being. In the first part of the study, the participants completed the Composite Scale of Morningness. On the basis of the chronotype cut-off criteria for Composite Scale of Morningness distribution, 100 individuals were classified as morning-types (M-types) and 66 individuals as E-types. Therefore, 166 participants (80 women and 86 men) aged 18–36 years (M ± SD: 29.27 ± 4.81 years) took part in the second part of the study, and completed questionnaires measuring self-liking, self-competence, life satisfaction, positive and negative affect, and depressiveness. Results show that E-types scored lower in self-liking, self-competence and subjective well-being, and higher in depressive symptoms than M-types. Controlling for age and gender, we obtained significant mediation effects, showing that the relationship between chronotype and subjective well-being might stem from the lower levels of self-liking and self-competence among E-types, and that the relationship between chronotype and depressive symptoms might stem from the lower level of self-liking among E-types. Our results suggest that self-liking and self-competence are important antecedents of lower well-being and higher depressiveness reported by E-types. Socially shared stereotypes of M-types and E-types can be internalized by the extreme chronotypes, which may significantly affect their psychological health.