Sleep, Chronotype, and Prosocial Allocation Decisions
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot listed
Trial typeObservational
Biological sexAll
Age18+
SponsorThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University
About this trial
This observational behavioural study examines whether individual differences in sleep quality, sleep timing, and chronotype are associated with prosocial allocation decisions in adults. Participants will complete self-report sleep and circadian questionnaires, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire, a 7-day sleep diary, and a brief computer-based Dictator Game allocation task.
The study does not involve sleep deprivation, sleep restriction, treatment, clinical diagnosis, medication, or medical devices. Participants will not be asked to change their sleep schedule. The Dictator Game decisions are hypothetical and do not affect participants' compensation. The study is intended to describe associations between naturally occurring sleep-related individual differences and behavioural allocation choices, not to diagnose or treat sleep or mental health conditions.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
Aged 18 years or above.
Able to provide informed consent.
Able to understand English or Chinese study materials.
Able to complete computer-based behavioural tasks and self-report questionnaires.
Disqualifiers
Aged under 18 years.
Unable to provide informed consent.
Unable to complete study materials in English or Chinese.
Prior participation in the same study.
Trial population
Adults aged 18 years or above will be recruited as healthy volunteers from university and community settings. Eligible participants may include university students, university staff, and community adults who can understand English or Chinese study materials and complete computer-based behavioural tasks, sleep-related questionnaires, and a 7-day sleep diary. The study is not limited to PolyU students and is not designed to recruit participants with any specific sleep disorder, mental health condition, or clinical diagnosis.
Trial design
Design model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Treatments tested in this trial
Sleep, Circadian, and Prosocial Allocation Assessment
Other interventionParticipants complete non-diagnostic sleep and circadian self-report measures, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire, and a 7-day sleep diary, followed by a brief computer-based Dictator Game allocation task. This is an observational assessment procedure only. Participants are not assigned to a treatment, sleep manipulation, sleep deprivation, sleep restriction, or behaviour-change intervention.
Treatment groups
128 Participants
are divided into 1 treatment groupGroup A: Adult Participants1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Dictator Game Prosocial Allocation Score
Prosocial allocation behaviour will be measured using a brief computer-based Dictator Game task. The primary behavioural score will be the number or proportion of trials in which the participant selects the more prosocial allocation option across the task, with higher scores indicating more prosocial allocation choices.
Time frame
Day 1 (single study session)Secondary outcomes
1
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Global Score
Subjective sleep quality over the previous month will be assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The PSQI global score is calculated according to standard scoring procedures and ranges from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating poorer subjective sleep quality. The PSQI is used as a non-diagnostic research measure.
Time frame
Day 1 (single study session)2
Chronotype (Sleep-Corrected Mid-Sleep on Free Days, MSFsc) From the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire
Circadian preference (chronotype) will be assessed using the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ). The chronotype variable reported is the sleep-corrected mid-sleep time on free days (MSFsc), expressed as clock time in decimal hours, with later values indicating a later (more evening) chronotype. The MCTQ is used as a non-diagnostic research measure.
Time frame
Day 1 (single study session)3
Mean Sleep Duration From the 7-Day Sleep Diary
Nightly sleep duration will be recorded in a 7-day sleep diary and averaged across the diary days to yield mean sleep duration, reported in hours per night.
Time frame
Daily for the 7 days before the study session (Days -7 to -1)Other outcomes
1
Dictator Game Response Time
Response time for Dictator Game allocation choices may be recorded as an exploratory behavioural measure, where available. Response time will not be interpreted as a clinical measure.
Time frame
Day 1 (single study session)Sponsors and contacts
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Source ClinicalTrials.gov