Survey study, 1982
Do personality traits change at different points in the menstrual cycle?
Some differences in personality test scores were found, but they did not support the common belief that women have more negative traits before their period.
What they did
College women took personality tests either in the premenstrual phase (days 20-25) or at the beginning of the cycle (days 5-9). Researchers compared the results between the two groups.
What they found
Significant differences were obtained between the two groups on personality measures. However, the results did not corroborate earlier findings that negative personality characteristics are associated with the premenstrual phase.
What it means for you
The popular belief about increased negativity and irritability before your period was not supported by these personality measures. The study was small, only included college women, and did not specify the total sample size.
days 20-25
premenstrual testing phase
days 5-9
early cycle testing phase
About the study
- Original title
- Consistency of some personality measures as a function of stage of menstruation
- Authors
- Maloney P, Deitchman R, Wagner EE
- Journal
- Journal of personality assessment
- Year
- 1982
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- None, observational
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa4606_7
Topics
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