Reward sensitivity’s associations with morningness–eveningness and other circadian-coupled behavioral phenomena: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional and prospective relationships.

Apr 24, 2026Clinical psychology : a publication of the Division of Clinical Psychology of the American Psychological Association

How Reward Sensitivity Relates to Morning or Evening Preferences and Other Daily Rhythm Behaviors: A Review and Analysis of Different Studies

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Abstract

A moderate positive association exists between eveningness and reward sensitivity in clinical samples.

The pooled effect of the association between morningness-eveningness and reward sensitivity was nonsignificant overall.
Eveningness was positively associated with reward sensitivity in clinical populations, while no significant association was found in community samples.
The relationship between morningness-eveningness and reward sensitivity varied depending on the specific measure of reward sensitivity used.
Social jetlag exhibited a small negative pooled effect on reward sensitivity, while social rhythm disruption showed a moderate positive pooled effect.

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OBJECTIVE: This meta-analysis provides a quantitative synthesis of associations between reward sensitivity and morningness-eveningness and other circadian-coupled behaviors. The circadian system, which generates patterns of preferences and behaviors such as morningness-eveningness, social jetlag, and rest-activity rhythms, is linked to health outcomes. Reward sensitivity encompasses a trait-level tendency to be motivated by/respond to rewarding stimuli, which is a known risk factor for psychopathology. Theoretical and empirical support suggest these systems work together synergistically, and their interaction uniquely contributes to the onset/course of health conditions, including mood and substance use disorders, beyond the impact of each system independently. This review evaluates the strength of the association between circadian-coupled behavior and reward sensitivity.

METHODS: A systematic literature search (7/11/2025) was conducted in two databases (MEDLINE/PsycINFO), followed by a two-step screening process. Pooled effects and publication bias estimates were calculated.

RESULTS: Most included studies assessed the association between morningness-eveningness and reward sensitivity, which had a nonsignificant pooled effect. In clinical samples, eveningness displayed a moderate positive association with reward sensitivity (null in community samples). The association between morningness-eveningness and reward sensitivity differed by reward sensitivity measure. Social jetlag had a small negative pooled effect and social rhythm disruption had a moderate positive pooled effect.

DISCUSSION: Associations between morningness-eveningness and reward sensitivity (=17) are minimal and heterogeneous, but meaningful effects appear in clinical samples. For social jetlag (=3) and social rhythm disruption (=3), the pattern of associations with reward sensitivity is variable. Future directions include prioritization of objective circadian measures, longitudinal designs, and multimodal measurement to clarify mechanisms. k k k

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Reward sensitivity’s associations with morningness–eveningness and other circadian-coupled behavioral phenomena: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional and prospective relationships.

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