According to a study conducted by a Penn State Abington professor, people who regularly use alarm clocks have less faith in their ability to wake themselves than do people who usually self-awaken.

In addition to this specific finding, associate professor of psychology Peter Crabb observed a general correlation between the use of awakening aids (such as alarm clocks and people) and poor self-regulation skills which control our behaviors.

Even though some say they can't wake themselves up, Crabb said other researchers have proven most people can do it but choose not to, which he calls a "parallel finding."

"It is highly recommended that people don't use alarm clocks," said Crabb, and added that it is healthier to be awakened by a person instead. According to his research, alarm clocks and other aids diminish independence and self-efficacy, which is a measure of a person's ability to perform a task successfully. "Control is in the alarm clock rather than the person's brain," he said.

Crabb studied 417 male and female undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 42 at Penn State Abington. He used a questionnaire, which included measures of awakening methods and self-regulation such as morningness, which rates a person's sleep-wake cycle on a scale. People who easily awaken early in the morning usually score high on morningness, while those who have trouble with early rising tend to score low.

In this study, subjects who awakened using an alarm clock or person scored low on morningness, self-efficacy and independence. By contrast, subjects who self-awakened scored higher in morningness, self-efficacy and independence.

"People feel better if they wake up by themselves," said Crabb. "They feel more in control of their lives."

This reasoning is apparent in the use of other devices, such as automatic cameras, spell check, answering machines and Caller ID. People who use technology to perform simple tasks are guided by technological control rather than self-control, said Crabb. He warned that dependence on such technology could damage a person's mental health by reducing the positive reinforcement a person experiences when he or she accomplishes a task without technological aid. Although he realizes that computers help in innumerable ways, he recommends that people complete simple tasks by themselves to retain independence and self-efficacy.

What is significant in this study is 97.6 percent of the participants were 18 to 22 years, an age range categorized as sleep-deprived. As a result of irregular sleeping and waking routines, college students generally rely on alarm clocks more than older people.

Even with knowledge of Crabb's research, students may not change their routines.

When asked about waking up without an alarm clock, Dan Newhart (senior-sports management) said, "It wouldn't happen."

Katrina Kissman (freshman-pre-medicine) added that it would be "too much of an imposition" to ask one of her roommates to wake her up.

Crabb advises developing a regular routine to hone the skill of rising. Waking up at the same time everyday is ideal, he said, even if you go to bed later on some nights and get less sleep.