This thesis explores the role of mood in adherence to changes in behaviour required for weight maintenance following weight loss in an obese sample. Significant increases in physical activity are necessary for successful weight maintenance, yet this change in lifestyle remains challenging for many. Anecdotally, the importance of being in the 'right mood' to make lifestyle changes is frequently reported. A systematic review of the weight maintenance literature revealed that a number of behaviour change techniques were associated with effective weight maintenance interventions. Therefore, the current randomised control study employed relevant behaviour change techniques within two goal setting interventions to improve either daily steps walked or mood compared to a control group in a weight loss programme cohort. The number of daily steps walked and mood were evaluated and the following questions were addressed: 1) In an obese population enrolled in a weight loss programme, do goal-setting interventions increase the number of steps walked compared to those in a control group? 2) Does the mood score differ for those participants in the mood improvement intervention group compared to those in the steps-walked intervention or control groups? 3) Does weight change differ for those individuals who have shown mood improvement compared to those whose mood is unchanged/worsened? The primary outcomes of steps walked, mood and weight were recorded immediately after intervention and again after unsupervised follow up 6-months later. The results showed that all groups increased the number of steps walked but not significantly so. This increase was greatest for the steps-walked group during the active intervention period but greatest for the mood intervention group during the unsupervised follow-up period. Mood improved significantly for all groups and was associated with significantly increased weight loss at follow-up. A trend for increased steps walked being associated with improved mood was observed in the 6-month follow up period. These findings highlight the links between mood and continued participation in lifestyle behaviour changes required for weight maintenance. Future research priorities are outlined for this field.

Recent studies have indicated stronger mood dependent memory (MDM) effects when subjects generate both the to-be-remembered events and the cues used in their retrieval, and when subjects who experience similar moods are compared to subjects who report a change in both pleasure and arousal, rather than others who report a change in pleasure alone. The first study was undertaken to experimentally evaluate the relationship between mood change and memory performance. Specifically, four mood manipulations were developed to compare memory performance in subjects assigned to no mood change, change in pleasure, change in arousal, or change in both pleasure and arousal. Subjects generated autobiographical events in response to neutral nouns, and were tested for free recall and recognition of these events two days later. Results demonstrated greater memory disruption after change in both pleasure and arousal than after change in pleasure alone. However, one-dimensional change in arousal led to as much memory disruption as did change in both dimensions. Separate ANOVAs compared each mood in combination with each other mood and indicated that MDM was more strongly supported in some combinations than others. Further, the pattern in free recall was different from the pattern in recognition indicating that MDM effects may vary interactively across moods and tasks. The second study was undertaken to validate prior research by employing subjects who experience large, but naturally occurring, changes in mood. Patients with rapid-cycling Bipolar Disorder performed a variety of tasks during study sessions and were tested for implicit and explicit memory during test sessions. Significant MDM effects were supported in free recall of autobiographical events and inkblot recognition, but not in implicit category production of autobiographical event probes, picture fragment completion, explicit nor implicit memory for letter associates. Results validate MDM as a real world phenomenon that impacts on explicit memory performance in subjects whose moods are not manipulated. Discussion centers on prospects for future studies that consider a wider range of manipulated moods and tasks, theories of emotion, and other clinical groups in the investigation of MDM. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

Orientador: Carlos Eduardo Lopes Verardi / Banca: Dalton Muller Pessôa Filho / Banca: Sandro Caramaschi / Resumo: O estresse associado ao desempenho do atleta em competições esportivas é um tópico altamente relevante. Com o avanço dos métodos de treinamento, nível de competitividade, demanda do contexto esportivo e fatores externos, torna-se imprescindível o monitoramento dos atletas buscando identificar quaisquer fatores que possam lhes causar perda de desempenho ou questões que possam o afastar da modalidade. O presente estudo tem como objetivo identificar e analisar níveis de estresse, estado de humor, bem como a percepção de estresse e de recuperação de 32 atletas de ambos os gêneros, praticantes de natação. Para avaliar quantitativamente as variáveis, foram utilizados os seguintes instrumentos: o Questionário de Estresse e Recuperação para Atletas (REST-Q), que descreve o estado mental, emocional e o bem estar físico dos atletas, a Escala de Humor de Brunel (BRUMS), que permite uma rápida mensuração do estado de humor em populações compostas por adultos e adolescentes, a Percepção Subjetiva de Esforço de Foster (PSE), que tem como finalidade identificar de maneira rápida e simples como os praticantes de determinada atividade compreende o esforço realizado durante a tarefa proposta. Os resultados demonstraram que no primeiro momentos os atletas estavam com um estado de humor elevado, o que indica um ótimo desempenho para competições, posteriormente é possível notar uma redução nos valores de vigor e aumento nas outras variáveis, levando os atletas a um desequilíbrio no padrão do esta... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The stress associated with athlete performance in sporting competitions is a highly relevant topic. With tha advancement of training methods, level of competitiveness, demand of the sport context and external factors, it tis essential to monitor the athletes seeking to identify any factors that may cause them to lose performance or issues that may distract them from the sport. The present study aims to identify and analyze stress levels, mood state, as well as the perception of stress and recovery of 32 athletes of both genders, swimmers. In order to quantitatively evaluate the variables, the following instruments were used: the Recovery-Stress Questionnaire for Athletes (REST-Q), which describes the mental, emotional and physical well-being of the athletes, the Brunel Mood Sate Scale (BRUMS). Which allows a rapid measurement of mood in populations composed of adults and adolescentes, Foster Perception Subjective Effort (PSE), which aims to identify in a quick and simple way how the practioners of a certain activity comprises the effort made during. The proposed task. The results showed that in the first moments the athletes were in a high mood, which indicates an excellent performance for competitions, later it is possible to notice a reduction in the values of vigor and increase in the order variables, leading the athletes to an imbalance in the standard Of the state of humor. Values obtained on the stress and recovery scale changed during the season, with stress indexes increased, while recovery values reduced, indicationg susceptibility to injuries and overtrining. In this way, it is concluded that athletes have become more likely to have harmful and overtraining frames over time, thus is necessary to monitor athlete workloads and perceptions. To better understand the states of humor it is necessary to know the athlete deeply and the context in which he is inserted / Mestre

No description available.

This study examined the effects of verbal suggestion and music listening on mood changes of college students. The 135 volunteers were randomly assigned to one of three conditions (Condition 1/somber depiction with music, Condition 2/pleasant depiction with music, or Condition 3/music only). The Profile of Mood States was administered before and after each condition. Significant differences (p<.05) were found between pre and posttest scores within the groups; however, no significant differences were found among the groups for these same measures. A music questionnaire was administered following the posttest which examined the subjects' preference for the music played, the frequency of experiencing images while listening to music, and their opinion concerning whether the depiction complemented the music. Implications of the results are discussed, and suggestions for future research are given.

The overarching aim of this thesis was to use an experimental psychopathology approach to investigate mood, stress and mental imagery in the Broad Bipolar Phenotype (BPP), defined by the experience of elevated lifetime hypomania. Daily mood reactions to stress have been well explored in psychosis, but the limited research in BD has produced mixed findings. Holmes, Geddes, Colom and Goodwin (2008) hypothesised that mental imagery in BD may amplify emotion and worsen day to day mood extremes. This thesis investigates volunteers ranging across the continuum ofthe BPP in relation to key variables from the Holmes et al (2008) model: mood, stress and mental imagery, and brings new methodology to this area. The Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ; Hirschfeld et ai, 2000) was used to identify groups with high (N=50; ~ 7 symptoms) and low (N=60; :s 6 symptoms) rates of hypomanic experience i.e. high MDQ and low MDQ. A single investigation was conducted for this thesis (N=IIO) which is divided into four studies. Study I and 2 tested the hypothesis that high MDQ volunteers would report higher levels of mental imagery compared to low MDQ volunteers. Study I (N=61) found that high MDQ volunteers had higher levels of trait mental imagery and intrusive imagery of the future, replicating patient findings. Study 2 (N=49) extended these findings to additional imagery measures. In a laboratory study, study 3 tested the hypothesis that after an experimental stressor (a traumatic film) high MDQ volunteers would experience more image-based flashback memories to the film than low MDQ volunteers. Volunteers reported any flashback memories to the film via mobile phone Short Message Service (SMS) prompts for six days, plus convergent measures at follow-up. As predicted, compared to the low MDQ group, the high MDQ group experienced significantly more flashback memories to the stressor (on all measures). Study 4 used an Experience Sampling Method (ESM; momentary assessment sampling over time) to frequently monitor mood and its event-related stress context. Thus, in the context of daily life study 4 sought to explore the role of bipolarity in exacerbating mood reactions, in comparison to other hypothesised contributors: neuroticism and intrusive imagery of the future. SMS mobile-phone messages were sent 10 times a day for 6 days to capture event-related stress ratings and mood ratings. Higher bipolarity (MDQ), neuroticism (EPQN) and intrusive imagery of the future (IFES) were each associated with increased mood reactions over six days, compared to lower levels of these characteristics. In understanding which of these characteristics best accounted for mood reactions, bipolarity (MDQ) best accounted for elated mood reactions, neuroticism did not best account for any moods, intrusive imagery of the future (lFES) best accounted for sad, depressed and anxious mood reactions and both bipolarity and intrusive imagery of the future best accounted for fearful mood reactions. In summary, the aim of this thesis was to investigate volunteers ranging across the continuum of the BPP in relation to key variables from the Holmes et al (2008) model: mood, stress and mental imagery. As predicted, compared to low MDQ volunteers, the high MDQ group had higher levels of I) self-reported use of mental imagery, 2) negative flashback memory imagery after an experimental stressor and 3) daily life negative mood reactions to stress. Critically, repeatedly imaging future scenes (lFES), which flash to mind unbidden, was found to show the greatest impact on negative mood reactions in daily life. Mental imagery offers a psychological characteristic which is elevated in volunteers at the higher end of the BPP continuum and also has the potential to be a novel cognitive treatment target in clinical BD samples. For example, targeting flashback memories after a stressor or targeting intrusive imagery of the future may help regulate mood reactions in daily life. This warrants further investigation in patients with BD.

Yau Muk Leung Anthony. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 57-61). / Abstracts in English and Chinese, questionare in Chinese.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wyoming, 2006. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Dec. 20, 2007). Includes bibliographical references (p. 43-55).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 94-103).

Thesis (M. S. in Psychology)--Vanderbilt University, May 2006. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.