The word "mood" is a loaded term. Often, moodiness, particularly as it applies to women, is interpreted as irrational and self-indulgent.
But moods -- those nebulous and fluctuating states of feeling -- do have a biological purpose and may even be useful for helping us to better understand our surroundings, according to New York psychiatrist Dr. Julie Holland, author of Moody Bitches.
Advertisement
Women's moods are a "healthy, adaptive part of our biology," Holland has argued.
A bold new theory of moodiness, published last week in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences, adds credence to this claim, suggesting that men and women's natural emotional fluctuations actually serve an important purpose: helping us to better adapt to changes in our environment.
The new study suggests that moods help us to learn from our personal experiences so that we can better respond to similar situations next time.
Advertisement
"It’s long been known that mood biases our judgments and perceptions, but this effect has usually been regarded as irrational or disadvantageous," Dr. Eran Eldar, a neuroscientist who studies emotion at University College London and one of the study's authors, told The Huffington Post in an email.
"By computationally analyzing causes and consequences of mood that are evident in the laboratory, we showed that mood’s biasing impact can, in fact, serve an adaptive role."
Advertisement
Here's an example: When a stock trader experiences an unexpected financial gain, it would undoubtedly improve her mood. This positive mood, in turn, would likely inspire her to take more risks, thereby adapting to a market environment that's on the rise.
A sizable body of research has shown that emotional states can powerfully color our perceptions and judgments. The new theory -- based on brain imaging data exploring the association between moods and monetary loss or gain -- suggests that we learn from experiences that are colored by our moods. Our expectations then reflect not only changes in reward availability (for instance, the rising stock) but also changes in the overall availability of reward in our environment.
Therefore, moods are an efficient means of learning about the environment, and they help us to quickly adapt to change.
"Our moods reflect inferences that things are generally getting better or worse for us, and they impact our behavior so as to adapt to these changes," Eldar said.
As the researchers note, positive and negative moods are most useful when they're relatively short-lived, persisting only until our expectations are in line with a change in reward. Then, most people will return to a baseline emotional state.
Advertisement
It's easy to see how humans may have evolved in some way to be moody, and to use fluctuations in mood as a source of information about one's surroundings.
"The effect of mood may have helped survival by ensuring quick adaptation to changes that possess an underlying momentum -- for instance, gradual changes in weather in springtime -- or that affect the general availability of resources, for instance, changes in the social status of an animal," Eldar said.
Of course, moods aren't always reliable gauges of a situation -- or as the saying in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy goes, "feelings aren't facts." Still, being more in tune with our moods can only help us to become more aware of how our emotions color our judgments and perceptions, both in a positive and a negative sense. And in defining the vital functions of our moods, scientists may one day come to better understand the root causes of mood disorders like bipolar disorder and depression.
Far from being "irrational," the researchers conclude, moods are a healthy and indeed evolutionarily adaptive aspect of human cognition.
"Being moody at times may be a small price to pay for the ability to adapt quickly when facing momentous environmental changes," they wrote.
Advertisement
Also on HuffPost:
Brain Superfoods
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.