title: An evaluation of the Circadian Type Questionnaire.
abstract: This study evaluates the psychometric properties and assesses the test-retest reliability and longer-term stability of scores on the Circadian Type Questionnaire (CTQ) of Folkard et al. (1979) in a sample of 445 students. The scales were found to lack internal consistency and the factor structure originally proposed was not replicated. Cultural variation in CTQ scores was suggested. Test-retest reliability, over three months in a subgroup of 36, was poor for the V and M scales. Longer-term stability, over nine months in a subgroup of 36 who were exposed to shiftwork, was better but significant decreases were found in rigidity of sleeping habits (Rs) and morningness (M) scores. A factor analysis suggested that the scales should be constructed differently; however, the properties of such scales were still not optimal. The CTQ has psychometric flaws and needs to be improved before it could be expected to reliably function as a predictive test of adaptation to shiftwork.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Behavioural Health Sciences , Lincoln School of Health Sciences, La Trobe University , Bundoora , Victoria , 3083 , Australia.
authors.forename: Kenneth M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Greenwood
keywords: Chronobiology; Chronotype; Circadian rhythms; Morningness-eveningness; Shiftwork; Work schedule tolerance