Cohort study, 2025
How does mood and personality change across the menstrual cycle?
Findings differ between study types. The diary study found similar mood patterns in naturally cycling and contraceptive-using women, with only minor differences. The laboratory study found clear increases in negative mood and anxiety before the period, and decreases in positive mood.
What they did
Two studies examined changes in mood and personality across the menstrual cycle. Study 1 was an online diary study with 757 women worldwide who reported their mood daily. Study 2 was a laboratory study with 257 women who were measured multiple times with blood tests for hormone levels. Both studies compared naturally cycling women to those using hormonal contraception.
What they found
In Study 1, daily mood and personality showed similar patterns in both naturally cycling women and contraceptive users, except contraceptive users showed greater variability in negative mood. Naturally cycling women showed a small decrease in positive mood before menstruation, but this was not a clear change. In Study 2, naturally cycling women showed clear increases in neuroticism and negative mood before menstruation, along with decreases in extraversion and positive mood. High extraversion and low neuroticism were linked to higher estradiol-to-progesterone ratios, suggesting a connection to fertility.
What it means for you
The menstrual cycle does influence mood and personality, but the size of the effect depends on how women are studied. The two studies reached somewhat different conclusions, suggesting that research methods matter. Changes in personality across the cycle may be linked to fertility rather than being random.
757
women in online diary study
257
women in laboratory study
About the study
- Original title
- Patterns in affect and personality states across the menstrual cycle
- Authors
- Stern J, Koval P, Blake K
- Journal
- Journal of personality and social psychology
- Year
- 2025
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 757
- What was tested
- Comparison of naturally cycling women to hormonal contraceptive users
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000538
Topics
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