Effect of chronotype on academic achievement in a sample of Italian University students

Circadian rhythms play an important role in biological function; their expression differs across
individuals; three chronotypes are distinguished: Morning- [MT], Evening- [ET], and Neither- [NT]
type. MT achieve peak activation in the first part of the day and are generally more conscientious
and achievement-oriented than ET, which reach their best during the second half of the day and
express a higher intelligence. University class schedules can sometimes conflict with ET circadian
preferences, compromising their academic performance compared with their MT classmates.
Conversely, MT students, being more aligned with their daily schedule, might be more advantaged
in their mental performance. The attitudes and performance of NT students are little
considered. No studies to date have investigated academic achievement in relation to chronotype
in an Italian student population. To fill this gap, this study examined the relationship between
chronotype and academic performance in a population of Motor Science Faculty in Milan,
differentiating achievement in theoretical and practical subjects by chronotype. The study population
was 423 university students (290 males and 133 females) and categorized by chronotype
according to Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) scores. Student transcripts were
reviewed to obtain exam grades on three practical and three theoretical subjects. The interaction
between MEQ score or chronotypes and mean exam grade was evaluated using one-way ANOVA.
The mean grades on the theoretical and practical exams were higher for the MT than for either
the ET or the NT students. The NT students (24.8 ± 0.1) had lower mean grades for the theoretical
subjects than either the MT (26.3 ± 0.4) or the ET (25.3 ± 0.2) students, while the ET (26.6 ± 0.2)
performed worse than either the MT (27.8 ± 0.2) or the NT students (26.9 ± 0.1) on the practical
exams. The same trend was observed for the total sample and when subdivided by sex. In the
total sample, significant differences in theoretical and practical exam grades were noted between
chronotypes: MT vs ET (p < .002, p < .0006) and MT vs NT (p < .04, p < .003). The differences
between the males were significant for the theoretical (p < .006, MT vs NT, p < .002) and the
practical subjects (MT vs ET p < .004, MT vs NT, p < .01), but no significant differences were noted
between the females. Our findings indicate overall better academic achievement by the MT
students, whereas the NT had lower exam grades for the theoretical subjects and the ET
performed worse on the practical exams. We speculate that the higher intelligence expressed
by the ET students might have helped them compensate the disadvantage on the theoretical but
not on practical exams, in which the effect of misalignment between circadian preferences and
university class schedule was more evident.