The effects of blue-light filtration on sleep and work outcomes.

Abstract

In this article, we investigate the effects of blue-light filtration on broad attitudinal and behavioral outcomes (i.e. work engagement, organizational citizenship behavior, and counterproductive work behavior). Drawing on recent developments in the circadian process literature and its related research on chronobiology, we propose that a cost-effective sleep intervention can improve multiple organizationally relevant outcomes. Specifically, we theorize that wearing blue-light filtering glasses creates a form of physiologic darkness, thus improving both sleep quantity and quality. We then argue that wearing blue-light filtering glasses is related to work engagement, task performance, and nontask performance via sleep quantity and sleep quality. Considering that individuals vary in the timing of their circadian process, we propose that chronotype is a first-stage moderator for our theoretical model. We tested these theoretical expectations in 2 experimental experience sampling studies. In Study 1a, we collected data from 63 managers (519 daily observations) and found that wearing blue-light filtering glasses is an effective intervention to improve physiological (sleep), attitudinal (work engagement), and behavioral (task performance, organizational citizenship behavior, and counterproductive work behavior) outcomes. In general, the effects were stronger for employees who tend to have sleep periods later in the day. In Study 1b, we collected data from 67 call center representatives (529 daily observations) and measured task performance from clients. We replicated most of the findings except for the interactions. Our model highlights how and when wearing blue-light filtering glasses can help employees to live and work better. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).