Lab study, 1987
Can what women expect about PMS actually cause mood changes during their cycle?
Yes. When women were led to expect that their mood would worsen before their period, their daily moods actually did get worse during the cycle. When expectations were changed to be more positive, mood changes were less severe.
What they did
Researchers showed college women videos designed to increase, decrease, or not affect expectations about mood and the menstrual cycle. One group was blind and didn't know the study was about periods. All tracked daily moods for 40 consecutive days, with expectations measured before, after, and at the end.
What they found
The videos successfully changed women's expectations about the mood-menstrual cycle connection, and these changed expectations lasted through the 40-day observation period. More importantly, the women's actual daily moods across their cycle matched their changed expectations. Women who were led to expect mood problems reported more mood problems during the cycle.
What it means for you
What women expect about how their menstrual cycle will affect their mood actually influences their reported mood. This shows expectations are powerful in how symptoms get experienced. However, these were college women, so results might not apply to women in other age groups or different populations.
40
Consecutive days of mood tracking
About the study
- Original title
- Effects of expectancies on women's reports of moods during the menstrual cycle
- Authors
- Olasov B, Jackson J
- Journal
- Psychosomatic medicine
- Year
- 1987
- Study design
- Lab study
- What was tested
- Videos designed to change expectations about mood and menstrual cycle
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1097/00006842-198701000-00006
Topics
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