Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire

Abstract

The Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) is a widely recognized and frequently utilized psychometric instrument designed to quantify an individual’s preference regarding the timing of their sleep and daily activities, a characteristic known as their chronotype. Developed originally by Horne and Östberg in 1976, the scale provides a quantitative measure of whether a person is a “morning type” (lark), an “evening type” (owl), or an intermediate type. The MEQ consists of 19 self-report items that assess factors related to preferred wake-up times, subjective alertness levels throughout the day, and optimal times for physical and mental performance, reflecting the underlying phase position of the human circadian rhythms.

The version presented here is an adaptation (Terman et al., 2001, 2008), where continuous graphic scales were substituted with discrete item choices to conform with spoken American English and facilitate standardized scoring. Scoring yields a total point value used to categorize the subject’s chronotype, which is crucial for research in sleep medicine, behavioral psychology, and chronobiology.

Keywords

Morningness, Eveningness, Chronotype, Circadian Rhythms, Sleep preference, Psychometric scale, Horne and Östberg, Sleep-wake cycles.

Authors

J. A. Horne, O. Östberg (Original, 1976), M. Terman, J. B. Rifkin, J. Jacobs, T. M. White (Adaptation/Revision, 2001, 2008).

[quads id=5]

Purpose

The primary purpose of the MEQ is to provide a reliable and easy-to-administer self-assessment of an individual’s diurnal preference. This assessment is fundamental in determining the optimal scheduling of work, educational activities, and light therapy interventions, particularly in clinical settings dealing with sleep disorders or mood disorders related to seasonal changes.

By quantifying the degree of morningness or eveningness, the MEQ allows researchers and clinicians to normalize data across different subjects based on their internal biological clock, improving the precision of studies related to human performance, biological markers (like core body temperature), and response to therapeutic interventions.

Construct

The scale measures Chronotype, which is the stable difference in the timing of biological rhythms and processes between individuals. Chronotype is largely controlled by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and reflects when an individual’s internal physiology, including body temperature and hormone secretion (such as melatonin), peaks and troughs.

The MEQ captures this construct by asking questions about habitual and preferred sleep/wake times, and the subjective timing of peak physical and mental efficiency, providing a behavioral proxy for the underlying phase angle of the circadian rhythms.

Validity

The MEQ has demonstrated strong validity across numerous international studies since its introduction. It exhibits good concurrent validity, correlating significantly with objective physiological markers of the circadian phase, such as the timing of the dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) and minimum core body temperature. Morning types typically show earlier DLMO and temperature minimums compared to evening types.

Furthermore, the scale has established ecological validity, as scores reliably predict real-world behavioral differences, including academic performance timing, work shift tolerance, and susceptibility to jet lag or shift work disorder.

Reliability

The reliability of the MEQ is generally considered high. Studies using the original 19-item version have typically reported high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha often exceeding 0.80) and strong test-retest reliability over periods of several weeks or months, suggesting that the measured chronotype preference is a stable individual trait rather than a temporary state.

Factor Analysis

While the MEQ is typically used as a unidimensional scale yielding a single total score reflecting the Morningness-Eveningness continuum, factor analytic studies have sometimes suggested a two-factor structure. These factors often broadly correspond to (1) Time of Sleep/Wakefulness (preferred clock hours for rising and retiring) and (2) Alertness and Performance Timing (subjective feeling of energy and performance capability at specific times of day). However, the summed total score remains the standard measure for classifying chronotype.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Assessment Questionnaire

Format: 19 multiple-choice items with assigned point values (ranging typically from 0 to 6 per item, depending on the question).

Language Available: English (American adaptation provided), Swedish (Original), and numerous other translations globally.

Population Group: General population, Clinical populations (e.g., sleep disorder patients, individuals with seasonal affective disorder).

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults.

Population Details: Used extensively in college students and working adults to assess circadian phase alignment.

Test Methodology: The respondent selects the option that best describes their habitual or preferred timing/feeling over recent weeks. Scores are summed to produce a total score (max 86 points for the adapted version), which is then used to classify the individual (e.g., definite morning, moderate morning, intermediate, moderate evening, definite evening).

Keywords

Diurnal preference, Sleep timing, Alertness, Performance peak, Chronobiology, Horne, Östberg, Terman, Psychometrics.

[quads id=5]

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source material. General information available through the Center for Environmental Therapeutics (CET).

Correspondence Address: New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 50, New York, NY, 10032 (Address for adapting authors Terman et al., 2001).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year (Original): 1976

Test Year (Adaptation/Version): 2001 (Prepared), January 2008 (Version Date)

Permissions: Copyright © 2008, Center for Environmental Therapeutics (www.cet.org). Permission is granted for personal use or use in clinical practice. Commercial distribution is explicitly prohibited.

Fee: Generally available for non-commercial research and clinical use without charge, provided copyright and usage restrictions are respected. The automated version (AutoMEQ) is available at www.cet.org.

Reference’s

• Horne JA and Östberg O. A self-assessment questionnaire to determine morningness-eveningness in human circadian rhythms. International Journal of Chronobiology, 1976: 4, 97-100.
• Terman M, Rifkin JB, Jacobs J, White TM (2001). Adaptation of the MEQ.
• Terman M, Terman JS. Light therapy for seasonal and nonseasonal depression: efficacy, protocol, safety, and side effects. CNS Spectrums, 2005;10:647-663. The original PDF can be downloaded here: www.cet.org.

[quads id=5]

Items of the MORNINGNESS-EVENINGNESS QUESTIONNAIRE

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

For each question‚ please select the answer that best describes you by circling the point value that best indicates how you have felt in recent weeks.

1. Approximately what time would you get up if you were entirely free to plan your day?

• [5] 5:00 AM–6:30 AM (05:00–06:30 h)
• [4] 6:30 AM–7:45 AM (06:30–07:45 h)
• [3] 7:45 AM–9:45 AM (07:45–09:45 h)
• [2] 9:45 AM–11:00 AM (09:45–11:00 h)
• [1] 11:00 AM–12 noon(11:00–12:00 h)

2. Approximately what time would you go to bed if you were entirely free to plan your evening?

• [5] 8:00 PM–9:00 PM (20:00–21:00 h)
• [4] 9:00 PM–10:15 PM (21:00–22:15 h)
• [3] 10:15 PM–12:30 AM (22:15–00:30 h)
• [2] 12:30 AM–1:45 AM (00:30–01:45 h)
• [1] 1:45 AM–3:00 AM (01:45–03:00 h)

3. If you usually have to get up at a specific time in the morning‚ how much do you depend on an alarm clock?

• [4] Not at all
• [3] Slightly
• [2] Somewhat
• [1] Very much

4. How easy do you find it to get up in the morning (when you are not awakened unexpectedly)?

• [1] Very difficult
• [2] Somewhat difficult
• [3] Fairly easy
• [4] Very easy

5. How alert do you feel during the first half hour after you wake up in the morning?

• [1] Not at all alert
• [2] Slightly alert
• [3] Fairly alert
• [4] Very alert

6. How hungry do you feel during the first half hour after you wake up?

• [1] Not at all hungry
• [2] Slightly hungry
• [3] Fairly hungry
• [4] Very hungry

7. During the first half hour after you wake up in the morning‚ how do you feel?

• [1] Very tired
• [2] Fairly tired
• [3] Fairly refreshed
• [4] Very refreshed

8. If you had no commitments the next day‚ what time would you go to bed compared to your usual bedtime?

• [4] Seldom or never later
• [3] Less that 1 hour later
• [2] 1-2 hours later
• [1] More than 2 hours later

9. You have decided to do physical exercise. A friend suggests that you do this for one hour twice a week‚ and the best time for him is between 7-8 AM (07-08 h). Bearing in mind nothing but your own internal “clock‚” how do you think you would perform?

• [4] Would be in good form
• [3] Would be in reasonable form
• [2] Would find it difficult
• [1] Would find it very difficult

10. At approximately what time in the evening do you feel tired‚ and‚ as a result‚ in need of sleep?

• [5] 8:00 PM–9:00 PM (20:00–21:00 h)
• [4] 9:00 PM–10:15 PM (21:00–22:15 h)
• [3] 10:15 PM–12:45 AM (22:15–00:45 h)
• [2] 12:45 AM–2:00 AM (00:45–02:00 h)
• [1] 2:00 AM–3:00 AM (02:00–03:00 h)

11. You want to be at your peak performance for a test that you know is going to be mentally exhausting and will last two hours. You are entirely free to plan your day. Considering only your “internal clock‚” which one of the four testing times would you choose?

• [6] 8 AM–10 AM (08–10 h)
• [4] 11 AM–1 PM (11–13 h)
• [2] 3 PM–5 PM (15–17 h)
• [0] 7 PM–9 PM (19–21 h)

12. If you got into bed at 11 PM (23 h)‚ how tired would you be?

• [0] Not at all tired
• [2] A little tired
• [3] Fairly tired
• [5] Very tired

13. For some reason you have gone to bed several hours later than usual‚ but there is no need to get up at any particular time the next morning. Which one of the following are you most likely to do?

• [4] Will wake up at usual time‚ but will not fall back asleep
• [3] Will wake up at usual time and will doze thereafter
• [2] Will wake up at usual time‚ but will fall asleep again
• [1] Will not wake up until later than usual

14. One night you have to remain awake between 4-6 AM (04-06 h) in order to carry out a night watch. You have no time commitments the next day. Which one of the alternatives would suit you best?

• [1] Would not go to bed until the watch is over
• [2] Would take a nap before and sleep after
• [3] Would take a good sleep before and nap after
• [4] Would sleep only before the watch

15. You have two hours of hard physical work. You are entirely free to plan your day. Considering only your internal “clock‚” which of the following times would you choose?

• [4] 8 AM–10 AM (08–10 h)
• [3] 11 AM–1 PM (11–13 h)
• [2] 3 PM–5 PM (15–17 h)
• [1] 7 PM–9 PM (19–21 h)

16. You have decided to do physical exercise. A friend suggests that you do this for one hour twice a week. The best time for her is between 10-11 PM (22-23 h). Bearing in mind only your internal “clock‚” how well do you think you would perform?

• [1] Would be in good form
• [2] Would be in reasonable form
• [3] Would find it difficult
• [4] Would find it very difficult

17. Suppose you can choose your own work hours. Assume that you work a five-hour day (including breaks)‚ your job is interesting‚ and you are paid based on your performance. At approximately what time would you choose to begin?

• [5] 5 hours starting between 4–8 AM (05–08 h)
• [4] 5 hours starting between 8–9 AM (08–09 h)
• [3] 5 hours starting between 9 AM–2 PM (09–14 h)
• [2] 5 hours starting between 2–5 PM (14–17 h)
• [1] 5 hours starting between 5 PM–4 AM (17–04 h)

18. At approximately what time of day do you usually feel your best?

• [5] 5–8 AM (05–08 h)
• [4] 8–10 AM (08–10 h)
• [3] 10 AM–5 PM (10–17 h)
• [2] 5–10 PM (17–22 h)
• [1] 10 PM–5 AM (22–05 h)

19. One hears about “morning types” and “evening types.” Which one of these types do you consider yourself to be?

• [6] Definitely a morning type
• [4] Rather more a morning type than an evening type
• [2] Rather more an evening type than a morning type
• [1] Definitely an evening type

_____Total points for all 19 questions