Mood, 4B

Question 1

Defining and Differentiating Mood

Answer 1

According to Brown and Astell (2012), mood refers to affective states of mind that underlie our subjective mental life.
Beedie, Terry, and Lane (2005) propose a conceptual separation between mood and emotion.

Question 2

Folk Psychology Perspective

Answer 2

Beedie, Terry, and Lane (2005) conducted a study where they asked non-psychology professionals about their beliefs regarding the difference between emotion and mood.
The participants provided their personal views on the distinction between the two.

Question 3

Comparison with Academic Literature

Answer 3

Beedie, Terry, and Lane (2005) examined 65 published articles that distinguished between mood and emotion.
They compared the perspectives of lay respondents with the views presented in the academic literature.

Question 4

Structure and Characteristics of Mood

Answer 4

Mood states are sporadic emotional states that typically last for minutes or hours.
They are manifested through physiological signals (e.g., increased heart rate) and behavioral signals (e.g., smiling).
Mood traits reflect an individual’s dispositions and tendencies to experience mood states.
Mood traits, as measured by instruments like the UMACL, show moderate stability over time (Costa et al., 1987).

Question 5

Positive Affect and Negative Affect

Answer 5

Watson and Tellegen (1985) identified two orthogonal dimensions of mood: Positive Affect (PA) and Negative Affect (NA).
Positive and negative moods can co-occur, resulting in bittersweet feelings.
Studies have shown evidence of co-activation of happiness and sadness in response to certain situations, such as watching a tragic comedy film or listening to certain types of music.

Question 6

Assessing Individual Differences in Mood Traits and States

Answer 6

Most methods for assessing individual differences in mood rely on retrospective judgments.
Retrospective judgments of mood are subject to biases associated with memory and retrospective recall.
Cultural mood stereotypes may influence how individuals perceive and remember their mood experiences.

Question 7

Effects of Current Mood

Answer 7

Current mood can have an impact on various aspects of our experiences and judgments.
Peak-End theory suggests that our retrospective ratings and memories are strongly influenced by the peak and end experiences, rather than the duration of the experience.
Contemporaneous mood assessment, such as momentary mood assessment or ecological momentary assessment, provides an accurate snapshot of mood states without memory-related biases.