---
title: Do women blame different things for their moods at different cycle stages?
description: Yes. Women tended to blame health problems for bad moods before their period, but blamed environment and lifestyle for good moods. However, these attribution
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/attributional-patterns-moods-and-the-menstrual-cycle-1988/
---

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- Do women blame different things for their moods at different cycle stages?

Survey study, 1988

# Do women blame different things for their moods at different cycle stages?

Yes. Women tended to blame health problems for bad moods before their period, but blamed environment and lifestyle for good moods. However, these attribution patterns did not match whether women actually had menstrual complaints.

 Early or limited evidence

60 women at a family planning clinic

## What they did

60 women at a family planning clinic filled out assessments of how they explained their moods at different cycle stages.

## What they found

Negative moods before menstruation were almost always attributed to health factors. Positive moods were attributed to environment and lifestyle. Personality was cited for moods between periods. No link was found between these thinking patterns and actual menstrual complaints.

## What it means for you

Women have different ways of explaining their feelings depending on their cycle phase. This is only a description of thoughts, not whether these patterns are helpful. The study was small and from one clinic, so results may not apply to all women.

60

women studied

## About the study

Original title Attributional patterns, moods, and the menstrual cycle Authors Bains GK, Slade P Journal Psychosomatic medicine Year 1988 Study design Survey study What was tested None - observational study Read the paper [doi.org/10.1097/00006842-198809000-00003](https://doi.org/10.1097/00006842-198809000-00003)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/)

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Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

## Related studies

Case-control study, 2026

Do women with PMS handle emotions differently at different times of the cycle?

Systematic review, 2012

Does the menstrual cycle cause negative mood, especially before your period?

Study, 2026

What coping strategies help women manage PMS symptoms?

Cohort study, 2026

Does the menstrual cycle phase affect how much physical activity women do?

Cohort study, 2026

How do beliefs about control and ways of handling emotions affect distress before your period?

Randomised trial, 2025

Does asking about positive experiences change how women report premenstrual symptoms?

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