---
title: Do women's beliefs about their cycle phase affect how they report symptoms?
description: Yes. Women who believed they were premenstrual reported significantly higher physical symptoms such as water retention than women who believed they were inter
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenstrual-symptoms-a-reinterpretation-1977/
---

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- Do women's beliefs about their cycle phase affect how they report symptoms?

Survey study, 1977

# Do women's beliefs about their cycle phase affect how they report symptoms?

Yes. Women who believed they were premenstrual reported significantly higher physical symptoms such as water retention than women who believed they were intermenstrual, even when actual cycle phase was the same.

 Early or limited evidence

Not specified in abstract

## What they did

Experimental study where researchers separated women's beliefs about their cycle phase from their actual cycle phase, then measured symptom reports.

## What they found

Women led to believe they were premenstrual reported significantly higher degrees of several physical symptoms such as water retention compared to women led to believe they were intermenstrual, despite having the same actual cycle phase.

## What it means for you

Your expectations about your cycle phase can influence how you experience and report symptoms. Previous research may have overestimated the severity of premenstrual symptoms. Limitation: sample size not given, but this does not mean symptoms are not real.

## About the study

Original title Premenstrual symptoms: a reinterpretation Authors Ruble DN Journal Science (New York, N.Y.) Year 1977 Study design Survey study What was tested Women were led to believe they were in different cycle phases than they actually were Read the paper [doi.org/10.1126/science.560058](https://doi.org/10.1126/science.560058)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)

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