Stick in the Mood

Whether or not you snap out of a bad mood may have to do with self-esteem.

By Christina Ianzito, published on July 01, 1995 - last reviewed on August 30, 2004

You're sunk in a deep blue funk. Do you turn on your most soulful CD and crawl into bed with some herbal tea, Kafka's reflections on meaninglessness, and a pint of Chunky Monkey? Or do you call a funny friend, flip on Comedy Central, and laugh yourself up a notch on the mood meter?

According to a recent study, how--and if--you strive to improve your dismal temper may depend on your self-esteem. Ohio State University researchers put subjects into good, bad, or neutral moods by showing them a tape intended to induce a certain mind-set. One film depicted a funny scene from "David Letterman," for example, while another showed a child being diagnosed with cancer. Subjects were then asked to select another video from a list that identified only how happy, interesting, and agreeable the video was.

Those who had been induced into cheerful moods strove to maintain them. They chose the videos deemed "happy." Subjects in sad and neutral moods were less concerned with the happiness factor. That surprised researcher Richard Petty, Ph.D.: Why would some people elect not to change their gloomy states of mind?

A follow-up study revealed the self-esteem factor. "People with high self-esteem in a negative mood do work very hard to retrieve a positive state," says Petty, "while people with low self-esteem do the opposite." They tend to perpetuate their melancholy by staying aboard a negative train of thought.

People who value themselves, Petty explains, think that they don't deserve to feel bad. So they put positive energy into chasing their gloom away.