Mood - Surprising Variable in Experiments
Dr. Hanna Keren from the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine at Bar-Ilan University played a central role in a study examining participants' changes in mood during experiments and the effects of these changes on the results. In a study published in the prestigious and highly-cited journal Nature Human Behavior, researchers examined almost 30,000 people, observing how the participants' mood gradually declined with time during routine tasks and rest periods, an effect they called "Mood Drift Over Time". In addition, the researchers demonstrated that factors such as freedom to choose an activity, reward sensitivity, and depression affect the mood drift rate. As part of the study, a model that identifies and quantifies the effect of mood on experimental results was developed. The results of this groundbreaking and unique work are meaningful and relevant both for the planning and analysis of scientific experiments and for everyday situations in the Western lifestyle.
Last Updated Date : 05/04/2023
