---
title: How does mood and personality change across the menstrual cycle?
description: Findings differ between study types. The diary study found similar mood patterns in naturally cycling and contraceptive-using women, with only minor differenc
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/patterns-in-affect-and-personality-states-across-the-menstrual-cycle-2025/
---

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- How does mood and personality change across the menstrual cycle?

Cohort study, 2025

# How does mood and personality change across the menstrual cycle?

Findings differ between study types. The diary study found similar mood patterns in naturally cycling and contraceptive-using women, with only minor differences. The laboratory study found clear increases in negative mood and anxiety before the period, and decreases in positive mood.

 Moderate study design

Study 1: 757 women online, worldwide; Study 2: 257 women in laboratory settings

## What they did

Two studies examined changes in mood and personality across the menstrual cycle. Study 1 was an online diary study with 757 women worldwide who reported their mood daily. Study 2 was a laboratory study with 257 women who were measured multiple times with blood tests for hormone levels. Both studies compared naturally cycling women to those using hormonal contraception.

## What they found

In Study 1, daily mood and personality showed similar patterns in both naturally cycling women and contraceptive users, except contraceptive users showed greater variability in negative mood. Naturally cycling women showed a small decrease in positive mood before menstruation, but this was not a clear change. In Study 2, naturally cycling women showed clear increases in neuroticism and negative mood before menstruation, along with decreases in extraversion and positive mood. High extraversion and low neuroticism were linked to higher estradiol-to-progesterone ratios, suggesting a connection to fertility.

## What it means for you

The menstrual cycle does influence mood and personality, but the size of the effect depends on how women are studied. The two studies reached somewhat different conclusions, suggesting that research methods matter. Changes in personality across the cycle may be linked to fertility rather than being random.

757

women in online diary study

257

women in laboratory study

## About the study

Original title Patterns in affect and personality states across the menstrual cycle Authors Stern J, Koval P, Blake K Journal Journal of personality and social psychology Year 2025 Study design Cohort study Participants 757 What was tested Comparison of naturally cycling women to hormonal contraceptive users Read the paper [doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000538](https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000538)

## Topics

[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)

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