THE ROLE OF NEUROTICISM IN DAILY EXPERIENCES, AFFECT, AND NIGHTLY SLEEP QUALITY
Open Access
- Author:
- Slavish, Danica Christine
- Graduate Program:
- Biobehavioral Health
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- May 02, 2017
- Committee Members:
- Jennifer E. Graham-Engeland, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Jennifer E. Graham-Engeland, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Joshua M. Smyth, Committee Member
Orfeu M. Buxton, Committee Member
David M. Almeida, Outside Member
Stephanie T. Lanza, Committee Member - Keywords:
- neuroticism
affect
daily experiences
sleep quality
daily diary
multilevel modeling
actigraphy - Abstract:
- Neuroticism is one of the personality characteristics most strongly implicated in impaired health outcomes, yet the pathways by which this impairment occurs in daily life are not well understood. The differential exposure-reactivity model provides support for the role of neuroticism in increased reactivity to daily stress, and the cognitive-hyperarousal model of insomnia provides support for the role of neuroticism in impaired sleep. However, these models have not been integrated, nor tested longitudinally in naturalistic settings with comprehensive measures of both daily experiences and sleep. To address these gaps, the current research investigated the role of neuroticism in the associations between daily experiences and sleep quality using a 14-day daily diary design. The study included the investigation of three aims: 1) examining the role of neuroticism in predicting exposure to daily positive and negative experiences (DPEs and DNEs, respectively); 2) examining the moderating role of neuroticism in the within-person associations between exposure to DPEs and DNEs and daily positive and negative affect (PA and NA, respectively); and 3) examining the mediating role of average daily PA and NA in the association between neuroticism and subjective and objective sleep quality. Participants (N = 60 young adults; Mage = 25.33 ± 3.98 years; 53% female) completed a baseline questionnaire and a 14-day daily diary protocol, during which they completed two surveys per day and wore an actigraphy device for determination of objective sleep quality. Results revealed that neuroticism was not associated with a higher frequency of DNEs, but it was associated with a lower frequency of DPEs. Compared to those lower in neuroticism, for those higher in neuroticism, days with more DNEs than usual were associated with greater differences in NA, and days with more DPEs than usual were associated with greater differences in PA and NA. Neuroticism was associated with greater average daily NA, lower average daily PA, and worse subjective but not objective sleep quality. Average daily NA, but not PA, mediated the associations between neuroticism and subjective as well as some objective measures of sleep quality. These findings underscore the importance of assessing both DPEs and DNEs, as well as the contention that those higher in neuroticism are more labile in their positive and negative affect in daily life. Daily negative affect may be an important intervening pathway between neuroticism and impaired sleep quality. Findings help identify those individuals at greater risk for affective lability and sleep-related disturbance and help better characterize the daily psychological processes by which neuroticism may contribute to impaired health.