Study Sheds Light on Whether the Sun, Wind,
Rain Sway Our Emotions
I don’t think weather negatively impacts my mood unless of course I have
something planned
like an outdoor event that’s been cancelled due to weather.
But how about you, do rainy or overcast days get you down?
Researchers in Germany sought to find out whether day-to-day weather
affects people's moods. Researchers branched out beyond just sunny and cloudy
and looked at temperature, wind, sunlight, rain and snow, air pressure, and how
long the days were. The study was led by Jaap Denissen of Humboldt University
in Berlin. It had 1,233 participants, all living in Germany at the time. Most
of the participants were women, the average age was 28, with ages spanning from
13 to 68 years old.
Study participants were first given a personality test that measured
extraversion, neuroticism, how open one is to experiences, and how agreeable
and conscientious they are.
Then
participants were given a daily online diary
and asked to respond to a questionnaire that measured tiredness and positive
and negative mood. Examples of positive mood included feeling
"active," "alert," "attentive,"
"excited." Examples of negative mood included feeling
"irritable," "scared," "upset,"
"guilty." Tiredness was measured by terms such as
"sluggish," "sleepy," and "drowsy." Most of the
participants began the study in the fall.Researchers looked at how much the
participants socialized and slept, getting feedback on those conditions, which
can affect mood. They also collected daily weather data and matched it to the
participants' ZIP codes.
Contradicting conventional wisdom, researchers found that daily
temperature, wind, sunlight, precipitation, air pressure, and how long the days
were had no significant effect on positive mood.
- Temperature, wind, and sunlight were found to have an effect on
negative mood. Sunlight seemed to play a role on how tired people said
they were.
- Wind had more of a negative effect on mood in spring and summer than
in fall and winter.
- Sunlight had a mitigating effect on whether people reported they were
tired on days when it rained.
- When days become shorter, some people's moods mirrored that, while
others actually felt more positive feelings.
Researchers speculate that those who begin to get darker moods as the days
get shorter may be people at higher risk for seasonal affective disorder, or
SAD.
The research did reveal some limitations. The participants were not asked
how long they spent outdoors. But they do add that the results "can be
used as a starting point for future research."
The study appears in the October 2008 issue of the journal Emotion.
| STATS | |
| Journey Day: | 107 |
| Today's Calories: | 1570 |
| Daily Calorie Goal: | 1700 |
| Next Weigh In: | 5/7/14 |
| Days till Weigh-In: | 8 |
| Starting Weight: | 351 |
| Current Weight: | 336 |
| Lost So Far: | 15 |
| DAILY CALORIE TRACKER | |
| Tuesday 4/29/14 | |
| Calories | |
| Breakfast | |
| English Muffin (light) | 100 |
| PB2 & Strawberry Jam | 120 |
| Sliced Fresh Strawberries | 100 |
| Hazelnut Crème Decaf | 0 |
| 1/2 c warm seasoned lentils (yum) | 110 |
| Organic Mixed Greens | 0 |
| Total: | 430 |
| Hazelnut Coffee | 0 |
| Total: | 0 |
| Lunch | |
| Wasabi Beef Multigrain Flat Bread | 600 |
| Dasanai | 0 |
| Organic Mixed Greens | 0 |
| Total: | 600 |
| Snacks | |
| Red Delicious | 60 |
| Total: | 60 |
| Dinner | |
| Mushroom, spinich, mozzerella omlet wrap | 480 |
| 2 Kosher Dill Pickle slices | 0 |
| Fresh Spinich - steamed | 0 |
| Total: | 480 |
| Snacks | |
| Hazelnut Crème Decaf | 0 |
| Daily Total: | 1570 |
| Daily Calorie Goal: | 1700 |
| 25 min exercise (minimum) | Yes |
