Cohort study, 1979
Are menstrual symptoms caused by beliefs about the menstrual cycle?
This is a theoretical review arguing that some menstrual symptoms may originate from biased beliefs and selective processing of menstrual cycle information, not just from physical changes. It is not original research.
What they did
The authors reviewed existing research on menstrual symptoms and examined evidence that symptom associations may reflect biased beliefs and selective attention to cycle-related information rather than being purely physiological.
What they found
The review suggests that biases in how people process information about the menstrual cycle may originate and maintain symptom associations. These biases include selective attention to cycle-related information, how meaningful the cycle feels, and how evidence is interpreted. Mechanisms include distortion, autonomy, and category accessibility of the evidence.
What it means for you
This theoretical perspective suggests that cultural beliefs and how women process information about their menstrual cycle may partly shape symptom experiences. This does not mean symptoms are not real, but rather that beliefs, expectations, and attention also play a role. This is a conceptual review rather than new evidence from a study.
About the study
- Original title
- Menstrual symptoms: a social cognition analysis
- Authors
- Ruble DN, Brooks-Gunn J
- Journal
- Journal of behavioral medicine
- Year
- 1979
- Study design
- Cohort study
- What was tested
- None; this is a literature review article
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1007/bf00846665
Topics
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