RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LONELINESS AND ATTENTION COMPONENTS IN RELATION TO MORNING OR EVENING CHRONOTYPES

Chronotype, an individual's natural inclination toward specific sleep-wake patterns, reflects biological rhythms influenced by factors such as age, environment, and societal norms.Research links chronotype to various cognitive and emotional aspects, yet its combined effect on attention and loneliness remains unexplored.This study examines the relationships between chronotype, attention, and loneliness, focusing on three attention components assessed by the Attention Network Test (ANT): alerting (maintaining readiness to respond), orienting (shifting attention to a target), and executive control (resolving conflicting information).To this end, A sample of 122 right-handed participants, aged 34-55, completed the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire, the UCLA Loneliness Scale, and the ANT.Results revealed a negative correlation between chronotype and loneliness, with evening types reporting higher loneliness levels.Surprisingly, morning chronotypes exhibited poorer executive control performance compared to evening types.While loneliness was not directly associated with attention, a moderation effect emerged in the orienting component, where morning types with low loneliness showed slower orienting performance.These findings underscore the interplay between biological rhythms, emotional states, and cognitive processes, suggesting tailored interventions addressing chronotype and loneliness.Future research should explore these dynamics across diverse populations to inform targeted strategies for improving mental and emotional health.