One important aspect of itch is that it is known to be, to varying degrees, socially contagious, which means that humans will unconsciously mirror itching and scratching behaviour when they see it....Show moreOne important aspect of itch is that it is known to be, to varying degrees, socially contagious, which means that humans will unconsciously mirror itching and scratching behaviour when they see it. However, the contagious itching phenomenon is studied very little and concrete information on the topic is scarce. Previous research indicates that heightened levels of depression and anxiety are linked to increased itching behaviour and tentative results link variations in trait empathy to variations in variation in contagious itching. Trait empathy has also been found to be a factor in how much or little outside influences can affect a person’s mood. We examined the presence of contagious itch in our sample, the relationship between negative mood and contagious itch and two possible ways empathy might have an interplay with this relationship. Using video vignettes, we successfully produced the contagious itching effect in our study, however, we found no indication this was influenced by mood. Empathy was not a significant covariate in this relationship nor did it serve a moderating effect. The findings of this study contradict prior research on the relationship between negative mood and contagious itch, as we found no indication that negative mood was related to contagious itching, nor that including empathy had any influence on how much negative mood had an effect on contagious itch. Future studies with varying measurements of mood, including positive mood, could perhaps provide a different perspective on these results, as well as a possible combination of experienced itch and observed scratching behaviours.Show less
The current study researched the effect of emotional stimuli on memory and the influence of mood on this process. Earlier research has shown that emotional stimuli are better remembered than...Show moreThe current study researched the effect of emotional stimuli on memory and the influence of mood on this process. Earlier research has shown that emotional stimuli are better remembered than neutral stimuli due to an increase in attention and consolidation of emotional stimuli. Furthermore, mood has shown to have a significant influence on attention and memory when focusing on clinical outliers such as depression and anxiety, or induced mood. However, it is still unclear whether selfreported mood of healthy participants influences the emotional enhancement effect. In the current study the participants (n = 54) completed a memory task across two days. The participants completed the PANAS-SF questionnaire on the first day to assess their current mood. On the first day 60 negative and 60 neutral pictures were shown. On the second day the participants saw 75 pictures (negative and neutral), 60 of which they had seen the day before and 15 new pictures. We asked them for each picture to indicate how confident they were whether they had seen it the day before or if it was new. As we expected, we found an increased memory accuracy for negative pictures compared to neutral pictures. Moreover, we found less false alarms for negative pictures compared to neutral pictures and more hits for negative pictures. There was no significant effect found for mood influencing memory. Suggestions for future research are provided in the discussion.Show less
Background. This study was undertaken to determine whether symptoms of depression, stress and anxiety vary between naturally cycling (NC) women and women who use oral contraceptives (OCs), as well...Show moreBackground. This study was undertaken to determine whether symptoms of depression, stress and anxiety vary between naturally cycling (NC) women and women who use oral contraceptives (OCs), as well as the potential influence of personality traits, particularly emotional stability, on these variations. Methods. Standard psychological instruments assessing mood symptoms and personality traits, as well as a questionnaire regarding menstrual cycle and OC use were completed online by 266 women (133 OC, 133 NC) between the ages of 18 and 35. Correlation analyses and multivariate analyses of variance were used to determine the associations between these variables. Results. No statistically significant difference was found in scores of depression (D), stress (S) and anxiety (A) between OC and NC women (D; p=0.47, S; p=0.55, A; p=0.93). All three measures of mood showed a significant negative correlation with emotional stability (all p values <.001, D; r= -.32, S; r=-.44, S; r= -.46). However, no statistically significant difference was found between OC and NC women on the combined measures of depression, stress and anxiety when controlling for low emotional stability (p=.201). Conclusion. Low emotional stability is associated with heightened mood symptoms, however, there is no difference in these associations or mood symptom severity between NC women and OC women. This is in contrast with widespread beliefs and perceptions about OC use, as well as some scientific literature, although there still remains inconsistent evidence within the literature regarding which women experience negative side effects due to OC and why.Show less
