Final Thesis Copy 1 - kirstensteachingportfolio.com · Title: Final Thesis Copy 1 Author: Kirsten...
Transcript of Final Thesis Copy 1 - kirstensteachingportfolio.com · Title: Final Thesis Copy 1 Author: Kirsten...
Running head: FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT
1
Final Thesis Assignment: Sleep Quality and Academic Performance Between Second, Third and
Fourth Year College Students
Kirsten Miller & Emily Quinn
COMU 4001: Special Topics
Humber College
Dr. Daniel Bear
March 11, 2019
Turnitin Percentage: 40%
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 2
Acknowledgments
We would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge Heather Ramey and Daniel Bear
for your assistance, patience, and advice. On behalf of myself, Kirsten Miller, I would like to
acknowledge working through this process with Emily Quinn. Thank you for your patience. You
were a pleasure to work with. I would not want to go through this process with anyone other than
you. On behalf of myself, Emily Quinn, I would like to acknowledge Kirsten Miller for
supporting and working on this thesis with me. You are a wonderful writer, a critical thinker, and
an excellent thesis partner. Together we would like to acknowledge our thesis class their support
and peer edit sessions.
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 3
Sleep Quality and Academic Performance Between Second, Third and Fourth Year College
Students
Abstract
Up to 50% of college students experience daytime exhaustion (Orzech, Salafsky and
Hamilton, 2011). Sleep deprivation is specifically impacting the grades of first-year college
students (Orzech et al., 2011). Literature has heavily weighed towards sleep quality and
academic performance, particularly among first-year college students. The purpose of this study
is to address the gaps in the literature by examining how sleep quality is associated with
academic performance between second, third and fourth-year college students. This is a
population that lacks in research. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to
measure the quality and patterns of sleep among adults (Orzech et al., 2011). It is a nine-item
questionnaire that allows participants to rate sleep habits during the past month. It combines
these items to create seven component scores that break down an individuals sleep quality into
different categories. Participants with a PSQI score of five or greater were indicative of poor
sleep quality. and negative correlation between sleep and academics for second, third and
fourth-year students. This shows that high PSQI scores (indicating low levels of sleep quality)
are associated with low academic performance. Where as a low PSQI scores (indicating high
levels of sleep quality) can be associated with high academic performance.
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 4
Introduction
In the rapid-paced modern society, sleep deprivation has become a prominent problem.
(Curcio, Ferrara & Degennaro, 2006). Research has shown that sleep deprivation impacts various
age groups differently (Pagel & Kwaitkowski, 2010). For instance, the college population
experiences a high frequency of waking up in the night with difficulties falling back to sleep ().
This population also experiences a difficult sleep onset (According to Orzech et al. (2011), 50%
of college students experience exhaustion throughout the daytime, which negatively interferes
with their academic fulfillment. Sleep deprivation can impair cognitive learning, working
memory, alertness and overall prefrontal cortex functioning (Curcio et al., 2006; Lau, Wong,
Lau, Hui, & Tseng, 2015). One study has shown that the quality of sleep can enhance academic
performance among college students (Wong et al., 2012). This stresses that sleep may be an
important predictor of academic success. Despite these findings, there has been limited research
focusing on how sleep impacts academic performance of college students, particularly among
second, third and fourth-year college students whose experience might be different from first-
year students (Curcio et al., 2006; Gaultney, 2010; Orzech et al., 2011). Post-secondary
institutions have expressed concern towards student sleep deprivation negatively impacting
graduation rates (Gaultney, 2010). This shows the importance of the need to further study how
sleep is associated with academic performance second, third and fourth-year college students.
Therefore, in the current study, our research question is how sleep is associated with academic
performance between second, third and fourth-year college students. Our first hypothesis is that
PSQI scores and academic performance will be negatively correlated. Our second hypothesis is
that gender and sleep will not have a significant correlation. Our third hypothesis is that minority
status and amount of sleep will also not have a significant correlation.
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 5
Literature Review
Academic Performance
Successful learning is essential for academic and school achievement (Curcio et al.,
2006). As cited by Richardson, Bond, and Abraham (2012), an individual's cognitive capacity
can be used to explain academic performance throughout their education. Academic performance
would be in relation to postsecondary education, such as university or college education
(Richardson et al., 2012). Additional literature suggests that academic performance involves
being successful in terms of school achievement (Curcio et al., 2006).
Academic performance is important because it plays an essential role in determining the
occupational status and graduate employment (Richardson et al., 2012). The literature
demonstrates how academic performance predicts outcomes after college, such as an individual’s
future financial success and psychosocial wellbeing (Taylor, Vatthauer, Bramoweth, Ruggero &
Roane, 2013). It was determined that for some college programs, one’s annual earnings would
increase more than 8% for every 1-point increase in grade point average (GPA) (Taylor et al.,
2013). Therefore, since academic performance impacts many life outcomes, it is an important
variable to understand measure.
According to Richardson et al. (2012), a student’s academic performance is usually
measured cumulatively by their overall GPA, which is the mean of weighted courses. GPA is the
most common measure used for academic performance (Richardson et al., 2012). Additional
literature indicates how GPA is the standard measurement for academic performance (Taylor et
al., 2013). However, SAT and ACT scores have also been used to measure academic
performance (Taylor et al., 2013). The majority of the literature indicates that GPA is a more
effective measurement for academic performance rather than SAT and ACT scores. Therefore,
for the purpose of this study academic performance was measured using student GPA.
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 6
Sleep Among College Students
Current literature lacks a standard definition of sleep quality (Krystal & Edinger (2008);
Ramlee, Sanborn, & Tang 2017). In some cases, the term sleep quality may refer to a collection
of measurements on sleep time, efficiency, onset, fragmentation and total wake time while trying
to achieve sleep (Krystal & Edinger, 2008). Other research suggests that sleep quality can also be
considered to have a subjective definition (Cates, Clark, Wolley, Saunders, 2015), which means
the definition of sleep quality varies between individuals.
It is important to measure and understand sleep quality since poor sleep quality can lead
to daytime performance impairments and a diminished quality of life (Mollayeva et al., 2016).
Sleep quality is also an essential indicator of health and wellbeing (Ramlee et al., 2017).
Furthermore, the literature suggests how sleep can play an important role in working memory,
which is essential for learning and comprehension skills (Curcio et al., 2006; Lau et al., 2015).
Sleep quality is beneficial to many aspects of life and understanding sleep quality as well as
having effective ways to measure it is necessary.
According to Mollayeva et al. (2016), there are various tools to measure sleep
subjectively and objectively. One approach would be to use a carefully constructed questionnaire
that incorporates elements from the American Psychological Association pertaining to clinical
sleep dysfunctions (Mollayeva et al., 2016). Additional methods include electroencephalogram
(EEG) spectral analysis, and actigraphy (Krystal & Edinger, 2008). However, literature strongly
relies on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The PSQI is a clinical instrument used to
measure sleep quality (Cates et al., 2015; Mollayeva et al., 2016). According to Cates et al.
(2015), PSQI was developed to assess sleep disturbances and sleep quality in order to identify
individuals with good and poor sleep. According to literature, the PSQI has a strong reliability
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 7
coefficient, which makes it an effective tool to measure sleep quality (Cates et al., 2015). The
PSQI is composed of Likert-style questions, which according to Krystal and Edinger (2008) is a
core element to understanding subjective sleep quality. It is important to emphasize that even
though the PSQI was originally created for a clinical purpose, the literature indicates that it can
also be used for non-clinical purposes (Mollayeva et al., 2016).
The Relationship Between Sleep and Academic Performance
Literature suggests that sleep is associated with comprehension, working memory
performance, procedural memory, declarative memory, emotional processing, alertness and
overall academic performance (Curcio et al., 2006; Orzech et al., 2011; Lau et al., 2015). The
association between sleep quality and academic performance is further emphasized by Orzech et
al. (2011), which states that students with higher academic performance went to bed early in
contrast to their lower-performing peers. Wong et al. (2012) support this claim by stating that
students with more than eight hours of sleep received a GPA of 3.24, and those with fewer hours
of sleep received a GPA of 2.74. Another study indicates that difficult sleep onset and poor sleep
maintenance are correlated with low GPA in college (Pagel & Kwaitkowski, 2010). Thus, the
literature strongly supports the relationship between sleep quality and academic performance.
However, despite studies supporting the association between sleep quality and academic
performance, gaps within literature still exist. For instance, Cates et al. (2015) state that few
studies exist that examine students standing in different academic years. This is seen throughout
literature as many studies examine how sleep quality is associated with academic performance
among first-year college students. One study administered to first-year college students
examined how sleep habits are highly correlated with academic performance (Orzech et al.,
2011). In a study by Gaultney (2010) 46% of students studied were in the first year, whereas
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 8
only 26% of students studied were in the second year and 16% were in their third year. In
another study, more than half of the participants examined were first-year students (Curcio et al.,
2006). Therefore, there is not enough evidence in literature researching sleep among second,
third and fourth-year students. This highlights a need to conduct further research examining how
sleep is associated with academic performance amongst second, third, and fourth-year college
students.
The Current Study
Since literature has shown how sleep quality is associated with academic performance, it
is essential to address the gap in the literature in order to see if it pertains to students beyond
their first-year of college. This study was designed to address the gaps in the literature by
examining how sleep quality is associated with academic performance between second, third and
fourth-year college students, a population that lacks in research. Therefore, the following
research question was proposed: How is sleep associated with academic performance among
second, third and fourth-year college students? We hypothesize that PSQI scores and academic
performance will be negatively correlated
Theoretical Orientation
Post-positivist is a philosophy of research that examines how causes probably influence
outcomes (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Since post-positivist worldviews are congruent with
quantitative research, it corresponds with our survey methods (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). A
post-positivist orientation relies heavily on numeric measurements of variables which are used to
create a given research question (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Since this research study
examines the relationship between variables (sleep quality and academic performance) it is
congruent with this theoretical orientation. These variables will be measured numerically by the
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 9
use of a survey, further aligning this study's theoretical orientation to a post-positivist approach
(Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Additionally, post-positivism examines human behaviours, which
would include behaviours such as sleeping (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Post-positivism
challenges the notion of absolute truth and recognizes that researchers cannot be absolutely
certain about their claims (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). By examining the relationship between
sleep quality and academic performances, this study does not seek out an absolute truth. This
study embraces the ideology that knowledge is conjectural (Creswell & Creswell, 2018).
Therefore, it is evident that this study is congruent with a post-positivist orientation.
Research Methodology
Participants
A convenient sample of N= 100 participants were invited to partake in the study.
Participants for this study were second, third and fourth-year Humber College Bachelor of Child
and Youth Care (BCYC) students in the School of Social and Community Services. The age of
participants range from 19 to 25. This study was inclusive of all genders, age, ethnicity, and
socioeconomic status.
Procedure
Researchers contacted faculty members in the School of Social and Community Services
at Humber College to arrange appropriate times and dates to visit students in their respective
classrooms. Ethics approval was obtained from Humber college Research Ethics Board (REB)
(See Appendix A). Ethical agreement forms were signed and researchers were aware of the
confidential parameters (See Appendix D). Students were given a letter of invitation and consent
form to partake in the research (See Appendix C). As researchers, we obtained our Tri-Council
Policy Statement (TCPS) (See Appendix B).
In order to obtain informed consent, participants were informed about the purpose of the
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 10
research, including risk and benefits (Consent, 2014). Disclosure of the information relevant to
the research was also included (Consent, 2014). Participants were given an opportunity to decide
if they wished to participate in the research and ask questions about any additional inquiries
(Consent, 2014). Participants were informed and assured that anything disclosed to researchers
would be confidential unless granted otherwise (Privacy and Confidentiality, 2014).
Additionally, participants were informed that data will be stored on an encrypted flash drive
(Consent, 2014). Participants were not excluded based on gender, age, sexual orientation, race,
religion, socioeconomic status and ability (Fairness and Equity, 2014).
After the code of ethics was outlined, researchers handed out the demographics survey to
participants (See Appendix E) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) (See Appendix F)
for those who have given their informed consent. Participants were given 15 to 20 minutes to
complete both the demographic survey and PSQI questionnaire and returned surveys to the
researchers upon completion.
Measures
Demographics. A research demographics information questionnaire was focused on
information such as age, gender, ethnicity, minority status, parental education, program (degree)
and program year.
Grade Point Average. To measure GPA, participants had six categories to choose from:
below 50%, 50%-59%, 60%-69%, 70%-79%, 80%-89%, and 90%-100%. Answers were
quantified on a scale of 0 (GPA below 50%) to 5 (GPA between 90% -100%). Participants were
asked to answer based on GPA from the last term.
Sleep Quality. PSQI was the instrument that was used to measure the quality and
patterns of sleep among adults (Orzech et al., 2011). It is a nine-item questionnaire that allowed
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 11
participants to rate sleep habits during the past month. It combined these items to create seven
component scores that break down an individuals sleep quality into different categories (Cates et
al., 2015). A sample question from the PSQI is “Cannot get to sleep within 30 minutes.”
Response ranged on a Likert type scale from 0 (not during the past week) to 3 (three or more
times a week). The PSQI demonstrates moderate internal consistency (Orzech et al., 2011) since
the seven scores have a reliability coefficient of ∝= 0.65, as shown in Table 1 (Appendix G). The
higher the PSQI score the less sleep quality a person had with a score of five or greater indicated
poor sleep quality (Orzech et al., 2011).
Global PSQI Score. IBM SPSS was utilized to statistically analyze the data collected.
IBM SPSS Statistics is the world's leading statistical software (IBM SPSS Statistics, 2018). Once
surveys were completed, data was entered into SPSS. Nominal values were given to code all
demographics except age and school year.
The PSQI’s seven component scores were calculated using SPSS. Component one was
given a score based on question nine in the PSQI survey. Component two analyzed sleep latency
by calculating the sum of questions 2 and 5a. Component three examined sleep duration, which
was analyzed in question four. Component four analyzed sleep efficiency by calculating the
percentage of hours slept by each participant. Component five examines sleep disturbances and
consisted of the sum of questions 5b-5j. Component six examined the use of sleep medication
and assigned a score to the answers given in question six. Lastly, component seven examined
daytime dysfunction, by calculating the sum of questions seven and eight. Once the seven
component scores were determined, the total global PSQI score was calculated by the sum of
seven components.
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 12
Results
Demographic Descriptive Statistics of Sample
Out of the 100 participants N=100, 8% were male, 91% were female and 1% identified as
other. As seen in Table 2, the minimum age of participants is 19, while the maximum age is 42,
while (M=23.27 and SD= 3.93). Concerning school year, the minimum academic year was 2 and
the maximum academic year was 4, while (M= 3.42 and SD= 0.71). 53% of participants were not
considered to be a person of colour and 47% identified as a person of colour.
Table 2 Descriptive Statistics Sample
Spearman Correlation
Using Spearman correlation, we analyzed the correlation between student's grades and
their sleep quality. As shown in Table 3, these two variables were significantly correlated, rs
(98)= -0.20, p = 0.04. Therefore, PSQI scores had a week negative correlation with academic
performance.
N Range Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation What is your gender? 100 2 0 2 .93 .293 How old are you? 99 23 19 42 23.27 3.925 What is your ethnicity? 99 11 0 11 3.87 4.432 Do you consider yourself to be a visible minority?
100 1 0 1 .47 .502
Mother’s highest level of education?
100 4 0 4 2.25 1.184
What kind of marks did you usually get?
100 3 2 5 3.42 .741
Valid N (listwise) 98
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 13
Independent Sample t-test
As seen in Table 4, data was analyzed using an independent sample t-test to see if gender
related to amount of hours slept. As seen in Table 5 (Appendix G), females experienced longer
periods of sleep (M=6.84, SD = 1.38, n = 91) than male participants (M=6.31, SD= 1.31, n=8).
As Table 4 shows, p > .05 indicating that there is no significant correlation between gender and
amount of sleep hours.
As indicated in Tables 6, data was analyzed using an independent sample t-test to see if
minority status related amount of hours slept. Individuals who did not identify as a person of
colour experienced longer periods of sleep (M=6.89 hours, SD =1.4, n = 53) than participants
who did identify as a person of colour (M = 6.64 hours, SD = 1.36, n = 47) (See Table 7 in
Appendix G). However, since p > .05 the relationship between minority status and amount of
hours slept is not significantly correlated.
Table 3
Spearman Correlation: Grades and PSQI
PSQI
What marks did you usually get?
Spearman's rho PSQI Correlation Coefficient 1.000 -.200* Sig. (2-tailed) . .046 N 100 100
What marks did you usually get?
Correlation Coefficient -.200* 1.000 Sig. (2-tailed) .046 . N 100 100
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 14
Table 4 Independent t-test: Gender and Sleep
Levene's Test for Equality of
Variances t-test for Equality of Means
F Sig. t df
Sig. (2-
tailed)
Mean Differen
ce
Std. Error
Difference
95% Confidence
Interval of the Difference
Lower Upper How many hours of actual sleep did you get at night (minutes)?
Equal variances assumed
.500 .481 1.030
97 .306 .5238 .5085 -.4855 1.5330
Equal variances not assumed
1.081
8.441
.310 .5238 .4845 -.5835 1.6311
Table 6
Independent t-test: Minority Status and Sleep
Levene's Test for
Equality of Variances t-test for Equality of Means
F Sig. t df
Sig. (2-
tailed)
Mean Differe
nce
Std. Error
Difference
95% Confidence Interval of the
Difference Lower Upper
How many hours of actual sleep did you get at night (minutes)?
Equal variances assumed
.021 .884 -.922
98 .359 -.2558 .2775 -.8065 .2949
Equal variances not assumed
-.923
97.112 .358 -.2558 .2771 -.8057 .2941
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 15
Discussion
Research results confirmed the initial hypothesis: PSQI scores and academic performance
will be negatively correlated. Our Spearman correlation test indicated that the higher PSQI score
an individual had, the lower their grades may be. This is a negative correlation, however, the
PSQI score needs to be appropriately interpreted. As previously stated, the higher a PSQI score
is, the lower quality of sleep one receives, while low PSQI scores indicate high levels of sleep
quality. Therefore these results communicate that the lower sleep quality one has, the lower
grades they may receive and vice versa. Therefore there is a significant relationship between
sleep quality and academic performance. Furthermore, after completing a t-test examining the
amount of sleep one gets in relation to gender and minority status, it is evident that the second
and third hypothesis were also confirmed. This is evident since there is no significant correlation
between the number of hours of slept and gender or minority status.
The literature reviewed for this study is aligned with these results since literature strongly
supports the relationship between sleep and academic performance. Our findings support this
claim by indicating that difficult sleep onset and poor sleep maintenance are correlated with low
GPA (Pagel & Kwaitkowski, 2010). Additional literature indicates how good sleep quality can
enhance academic performance among college students, which also aligns with the results
yielded from this study since low PSQI scores (indicating high levels of sleep quality) are
negatively correlated with high levels of academic performance (Wong et al., 2012). However,
previous literature mainly focused on sleep among first-year college students. Cates et al. (2015)
state that there is not enough research examining the relationship between sleep and academic
performance among students in different academic years. This study addresses this gap in the
literature, by indicating that sleep quality is significantly associated with academic performance
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 16
among second, third and fourth-year college student population as well.
Healthy sleeping patterns are a strong predictor for the longevity of one’s overall health
wellbeing (Lao, Tao, & Wu, 2016). Sleep can impair an individual's cognitive functioning (Lao
et al., 2016). Poor sleep quality can lead to daytime performance impairments and a diminished
quality of life (Mollayeva et al., 2016). Sleep quality is also an essential indicator of health and
wellbeing. Despite the benefits of sleep in relation to overall health wellbeing, sleep patterns
have been challenging to the college student population who are faced with stressors and
demands (Lao et al., 2016).
The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) will be used to explain sleep in relation to health
wellbeing. TPB is a successful model that is used to explain sleep and predict health behaviours
(Lao et al., 2016). Healthy sleep patterns are projected by one’s behavioural intention (Lao et al.,
2016). Behavioural intention looks at how much effort an individual is willing to spending on
achieving a given behaviour (Lao et al., 2016). Academic performance would be considered a
type of intended behaviour. Sleep can be explained as a planned behaviour that one uses to
achieve the intended behaviour of academic performance. In other words, TPB can add context
to the results of this study by indicating that students who intend to have a high academic
performance plan to obtain good sleep quality. Furthermore, TPS also explains how students
who do not intend to achieve high academic performance do not plan to obtain good sleep
quality. The application of TPB to interpret the results of this study are aligned with additional
literature which states how students with higher academic performance went to bed earlier then
lower-performing peers (Orzech et al., 2001). This is further supported by Wong et al. (2012)
who states that students who get more than eight hours of sleep receive a higher GPA than
students who have fewer hours of sleep. Therefore, TPB is a rational way of making sense of the
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 17
results in this study. Since gender and minority status are not planned behaviours, it is
understandable that they do not impact the behaviour of sleep.
Implications for Child and Youth Practice, Policy and ResearchLimitations
The first limitation of the study is the male to female ratio. Out of the 100 participants that
participated in this study 91% of participants were female and 8% of participants were male. A
new study shows that women are more impacted by sleep deprivation (Mallampalli & Carter,
2014). With the lack of sleep, they report more anger, depression, and hostility than men when
they get insufficient sleep (Mallampalli & Carter, 2014). This would indicate why our study had
a high number of participants with a high PSQI score.
A second limitation is our sample size. A total of 100 participants were invited to partake in
our study. This is a small sample size. A sample size that is too small can increase the risk of a
Type II error skewing the results, which decreases the power of the study (Creswell & Creswell,
2018). Another limitation that should be taken into consideration is our sampling profile. A
convenient sample of CYC students in the School of Social and Community Services at Humber
College were invited to participate in the study. Perhaps results could change if the study was
conducted researching two different programs: Students in the Social and Community Service
and students in the Behavioural Sciences program.
The last limitation is access to literature. The literature weighed heavily on addressing sleep
and academic performance among first-year students. There was not enough literature addressing
if poor sleep quality and academics performance had the same impact between the second, third
and fourth-year student population.
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 18
Conclusion
Our study addressed the gaps in the literature between sleep quality and academic
performance among second, third and fourth-year college students.Our study was conclusive that
there is a significant negative correlation between PSQI scores and academic performance. This
shows that high PSQI scores (indicating low levels of sleep quality) are associated with low
academic performance, where as a low PSQI scores (indicating high levels of sleep quality) can
be associated with high academic performance. College students, who are emerging adults, are
faced with sleep disorders as a result of facing the demand and stressors of schoolwork (Lao et
al., 2016). This is resulting in 50% of college students experiencing exhaustion throughout the
daytime, impaired cognitive functioning and working memory (Curcio et al., 2006). This
research calls for action as college institutions have expressed concern towards student sleep
deprivation negatively impacting graduation rates (Gaultney, 2010). CYCs can use this
information to teach parents and youth in college how to plan for healthy sleep behaviours in
order to achieve intended academic performance. More research should be conducted in order to
further address how sleep quality is associated with academic performance among second, third,
and four-year college students.
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 19
References
Cates, M. E., Clark, A., Woolley, T. W., & Saunders, A. (2015). Sleep quality among
pharmacy students. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 79(1), 09. doi:10.
5688/ajpe79109
Consent, (2014). Panel on research ethics. Retrieved from https://tcps2core.ca/course/view
Container/3lDePlSl1OPy
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed
methods approaches (5th
ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Curcio, G., Ferrara, M., & De Gennaro, L. (2006). Sleep loss, learning capacity and academic
performance. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 10(5), 323-337. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2005.11.001
Fairness and Equity. (2014). Panel on research ethics. Retrieved from https://tcps2core.c
a/course/viewContainer/3txg9ca71uMj
Garfat, T., & Fulcher, L. (2005). Characteristics of a relational child and youth care approach.
Child and Youth Care in Practice. Retrieved from http://press.cyc-
net.org/samples/CYCiP.pdf
Gaultney, J. F. (2010). The prevalence of sleep disorders in college students: Impact on academic
performance. Journal of American College Health, 59(2), 91-97. doi:10.10
80/07448481.2010.483708
IBM SPSS. (2018). Why IBM SPSS software. Retrieved from https://www.ibm.com/analytics
/spss-statistics-software
Jerome, N. (2013). Maslow’s hierarchy of need theory impacts and implications. International
Journal of Business, 78(6), 39- 45.
Krystal, A. D., & Edinger, J. D. (2008). Measuring sleep quality. Sleep Medicine, 9, S10- S17.
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 20
doi:10.1016/S1389-9457(08)70011-X
Lao, H.C., Tao V.Y, & Wu, A.M. (2016). Theory of planned behaviour and healthy sleep of
college students. Australian Journal of Psychology, 68(1), 20-28. https://doi-
org.ezproxy.humber.ca/10.1111/ajpy.12094
Lau, E. Y. Y., Wong, M. L., Lau, K. N. T., Hui, F. W. Y., & Tseng, C. (2015). Rapid-eye-
movement-sleep (REM) associated enhancement of working memory performance after a
daytime nap. PloS One, 10(5). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0125752 Mallampalli, M.P., &
Carter, C.L. (2014). Exploring sex and gender differences in sleep health: A society for
women’s health research report. Journal of Women’s Health, 23(7), 557-559. Doi:
10.1089/jwh.2014/4816
Mollayeva, T., Thurairajah, P., Burton, K., Mollayeva, S., Shapiro, C. M., & Colantonio, A.
(2016). The Pittsburgh sleep quality index as a screening tool for sleep dysfunction in
clinical and non-clinical samples: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine
Reviews, 25, 52-73. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2015.01.009
Morling, B. (2018). Research methods in psychology: Evaluating a world of information (3rd
ed.). New York, NY: Norton
Orzech, K. M., Salafsky, D. B., & Hamilton, L. A. (2011). The state of sleep among college
students at a large public university. Journal of American College Health, 59(7), 612-
619. doi:10.1080/07448481.2010.52005
Pagel, J. F., & Kwiatkowski, C. F. (2010). Sleep complaints affecting school performance at
different educational levels. Frontiers in Neurology, 1, 125. doi:10.3389/fne
ur.2010.00125
Privacy and Confidentiality. (2014). Panel on research ethics. Retrieved from https://tcp
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 21
s2core.ca/course/viewContainer/3goMo6lpUEu0
Ramlee, F., Sanborn, A. N., & Tang, N. K. Y. (2017). What sways people's judgment of sleep
quality? A quantitative choice-making study with good and poor sleepers. Sleep, 40(7)
doi:10.1093/sleep/zsx091
Richardson, M., Abraham, C., & Bond, R. (2012). Psychological correlates of university
students' academic performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological
Bulletin, 138(2), 353-387. doi:10.1037/a0026838
Taylor, D. J., Vatthauer, K. E., Bramoweth, A. D., Ruggero, C., & Roane, B. (2013). The
role of sleep in predicting college academic performance: Is it a unique predictor?
Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 11(3), 159-172. doi:10.1080/15402002.2011.602776
Wong, M. L., Lau, E. Y. Y., Wan, J. H. Y., Cheung, S. F., Hui, C. H., & MOK, D. S. Y. (2012).
The interplay between sleep and mood in predicting academic functioning, physical
health and psychological health: A longitudinal study. Journal of Psychosomatic
Research, 74(4), 271-277. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2012.08.014
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 22
Appendix A
Research Ethics Board Approval Letter
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 23
Appendix B
Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS) Certificates
Appendix C
Letter of Invitation/Informed Consent Form
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 24
Project Title: Sleep Quality and Academic Performance between Second and Third Year College Students Student Researchers: Emily Quinn and Kirsten Miller INVITATION Dear Humber Student: We invite you to participate in a study on sleep quality and academic performance among students. The procedure of this study will include an approximately 15-20 minutes survey, conducted as part of a thesis, by Humber Child and Youth Care students. As part of your participation, you will be asked about your Grade Point Average (GPA), sleep habits in the past month (including questions specific to your sleep experience). The study will also ask for basic demographic and background information, which are asked in most studies (e.g., age, ethnicity). POTENTIAL BENEFITS AND RISKS By participating in this study, you would have the opportunity to share your experiences as a Humber student. We do not believe that there are any more risks in participating than the risks you may experience in everyday life. WHAT WE WILL YOU DO WITH THE RESULTS The results from this research, without names or other identifying information, will be part of
a student thesis and will be presented and shared amongst 4th year CYC students and faculty at Humber College. It might be shared more widely, for example, as part of conference presentations or journal articles. If published, participants’ privacy will be protected by using pseudonyms or removing any identifying features. CONFIDENTIALITY AND DATA STORAGE All of the information you share in this study will be kept confidential. This means your name will not be used or associated in any way with the information we collect as part of this study. When your responses are stored, the researchers will use a number or pseudonym instead of your name. We may use quotes in our reports, again with all identifying information removed. Our three Humber Bachelor of Child and Youth Care (BCYC) faculty supervisors will have access to the information and the transcripts of the interviews and all information will be encrypted and locked in the Humber College BCYC office. Raw data will be deleted/destroyed, but electronic, non-identifying information will be kept indefinitely, for possible future analysis. You can refuse to sign this consent form and not participate in the present study. If you do agree to participate, you are free to withdraw from the study up until the analysis is complete (at least two weeks). If you choose to withdraw, the researcher(s) will destroy/deleted all of your survey information. NOTICE ABOUT SOME ONLINE SURVEY SERVICES (will be deleted by the researcher for studies not relying on online survey services) In some research projects, we use online survey services, such as SurveyMonkey. Many online survey services are US companies, and store their information in the United States. They may have privacy policies that say that they have the right to share the information collected through
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 25
their website anytime they are legally required to (for example, because they are ordered to by a court) and when they have to protect their own rights. US companies also have to follow the USA Patriot Act, which gives the US government a lot of powers to access data stored on servers located within the US. CONTACT INFORMATION AND ETHICS CLEARANCE If you have any questions or want more information, you can email the primary student researchers: Kirsten Miller at the following email: [email protected] or the faculty supervisors, Heather Ramey, at [email protected]; Sara Nickerson-White at [email protected]. This course has received approval to include primary research projects from the Research Ethics Board at Humber College (Protocol #________). If you have any comments or concerns about your rights as a participant, please call or email the Humber Research Ethics Board Chair (Dr. Jasteena Dhillon, [email protected], 416-675-6622, ext. 4543). Thank you for your help with our research! Please keep a copy of this form, in case you have questions or want it later. PARTICIPATION CERTIFICATION I agree to participate in this study. I have made this decision based on what I have read in this letter. I have had the chance to get more information, and I know that I can still email to ask questions in the future. I know that I have at least two weeks after I complete the survey to change my mind about participating in the survey. Date: _______________________________________________ Participant Signature: ________________________________________________ Print Name: _________________________________________________
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 26
Appendix D
Student Researcher Ethics Agreement
Name: Kirsten Miller Thesis Topic: Sleep Quality and Academic Performance between Second and Third Year College Students
An important part of conducting research is having respect for privacy and confidentiality.
In signing below, you are agreeing to respect the participant’s right to privacy and that of the people and organizations that may be included in the information collected. Such information may include interviews, questionnaires, and audio recordings. You are asked to respect people’s right to confidentially by not discussing the information collected in public, or with friends or family members. The study and its participants are to be discussed only during research meetings with your co-investigator, faculty supervisors, and/or others identified by your faculty supervisor.
In signing below, you are indicating that you understand the following:
§ I understand the importance of providing confidentiality to research participants.
§ I understand that the research information may contain references to individuals or organizations in the community, other than the participant. I understand that this information is to be kept confidential.
§ I understand that the information collected is not to be discussed or communicated outside of research meetings with my co-investigator, faculty supervisors, or others specifically identified by the faculty supervisors.
§ When entering data, I will be the only one to see the data and I will store the data in a secure location at all times.
§ When transcribing audio recordings (when applicable), I will be the only one to hear the recordings and I will store these recordings and transcripts in a secure location at all times.
§ I understand that the data files (electronic and hard copy) are to be secured at all times as specified in the ethics application (e.g., not left unattended, password protected and kept in a locked filing cabinet). In signing my name below, I agree to the above statements and promise to guarantee the confidentiality of the research participants. I confirm that I have read and understood the Humber REB application, as approved, and will follow the terms of this ethics approval.
Name: Kirsten Miller
Signature: ________________________________
Date: October 30, 2018
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 27
Student Researcher Ethics Agreement
Name: Emily Quinn
Thesis Topic: Sleep Quality and Academic Performance between Second and Third Year College Students
An important part of conducting research is having respect for privacy and confidentiality.
In signing below, you are agreeing to respect the participant’s right to privacy and that of the people and organizations that may be included in the information collected. Such information may include interviews, questionnaires, and audio recordings. You are asked to respect people’s right to confidentially by not discussing the information collected in public, or with friends or family members. The study and its participants are to be discussed only during research meetings with your co-investigator, faculty supervisors, and/or others identified by your faculty supervisor.
In signing below, you are indicating that you understand the following:
§ I understand the importance of providing confidentiality to research participants.
§ I understand that the research information may contain references to individuals or organizations in the community, other than the participant. I understand that this information is to be kept confidential.
§ I understand that the information collected is not to be discussed or communicated outside of research meetings with my co-investigator, faculty supervisors, or others specifically identified by the faculty supervisors.
§ When entering data, I will be the only one to see the data and I will store the data in a secure location at all times.
§ When transcribing audio recordings (when applicable), I will be the only one to hear the recordings and I will store these recordings and transcripts in a secure location at all times.
§ I understand that the data files (electronic and hard copy) are to be secured at all times as specified in the ethics application (e.g., not left unattended, password protected and kept in a locked filing cabinet).
In signing my name below, I agree to the above statements and promise to guarantee the confidentiality of the research participants. I confirm that I have read and understood the Humber REB application, as approved, and will follow the terms of this ethics approval.
Name: Emily Quinn Signature: ________________________________ Date: October 30, 2018
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 28
Appendix E
Research Participant Demographic Information
Please answer to the best of your ability. There are no right or wrong answers to any of the questions in this survey. Completing this survey, and participating in this study, are voluntary. You are free to choose not to answer or “skip” any questions that make you feel uncomfortable.
1) What is your gender? ____________________
2) How old are you? ________________________ 3) With which of the following do you most closely identify? (check all that apply)
African Arab Black Chinese Filipino First Nations (status or non-status) Inuit Japanese Korean Latin American Métis South Asian (e.g., Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, etc.) Southeast Asian (e.g., Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Thai) West Asian (e.g. Afghan, Iranian, Turkish, etc.) White Other, please specify: ______________
4) Do you consider yourself to be a person of colour?
Yes No
5) What is your primary caregiver’s (e.g., mother’s) highest level of education?
no high school some high school high school some college or university undergraduate university or college professional degree or graduate school
6) In this past term at Humber, what kind of marks did you usually get?
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 29
Below 50% 50%-59% 60%-69% 70%-79% 80%-89% 90%-100%
7) What program are you in at Humber? _____________________________
8) Is it a... (circle one)
degree program diploma program other (e.g., certificate)
9) In your program at Humber, what year are you in?
1st 2nd 3rd 4th
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 30
Appendix F
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) Questionnaire
Sleep Quality Assessment (PSQI) What is PSQI, and what is it measuring
The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is an effective instrument used to measure the quality and patterns of sleep in adults. It differentiates “poor” from “good” sleep quality by measuring seven areas (components): subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleeping medications, and daytime dysfunction over the last month. INSTRUCTIONS: The following questions relate to your usual sleep habits during the past month only. Your answers should indicate the most accurate reply for the majority of days and nights in the past month. Please answer all questions. During the past month, 1 When have you usually gone to bed? _____________________ 2. How long (in minutes) has it taken you to fall asleep each night? _________________ 3. What time have you usually gotten up in the morning? _______________________ 4. A. How many hours of actual sleep did you get at night? _____________________ B. How many hours were you in bed? _______________________
5. During the past month, how often have you had trouble sleeping because you
Not during the past month (0)
Less than once a week (1)
Once or twice a week (2)
Three or more times a week (3)
A. Cannot get to sleep within 30 minutes
B. Wake up in the middle of the night or early morning
C. Have to get up to use the bathroom
D. Cannot breathe comfortably
E. Cough or snore loudly
F. Feel too Cold G. Feel too hot H. Have bad dreams I. Have pain J. Other reason (s), please describe, including how often
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 31
you have had trouble sleeping because of this reason (s): 6. During the past month, how often have you taken medicine (prescribed or over the counter) to help you sleep
7. During the past month, how often have you had trouble staying awake while driving, eating meals, or engaging in social activity
8. During the past month, how much of a problem has it been for you to keep up enthusiasm to get things done?
9. During the past month, how would you rate your sleep quality overall?
Very good (0) Fairly good (1) Fairly bad (2) Very bad (3)
Scoring
Scoring the PSQI Component 1 score:_____ Component 2 score:_____ Component 3 score:_____ Component 4 score:_____ Component 5 score:_____ Component 6 score:_____ Component 7 score:_____
Global PSQI Score: __________
FINAL THESIS ASSIGNMENT 32
Appendix G
Outputs
Table 1 Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's Alpha N of Items
.652 17
Table 5
Group Statistics: Gender and Sleep
What is your gender? N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean How many hours of actual sleep did you get at night (minutes)?
female 91 6.836 1.3843 .1451 male 8 6.313 1.3076 .4623
Table 7
Group Statistics: Minority Status and Sleep
Do you consider
yourself to be a visible minority? N Mean
Std. Deviation
Std. Error Mean
How many hours of actual sleep did you get at night?
Yes 47 6.640 1.3660 .1993 No 53 6.896 1.4018 .1925