MOODS AS SOURCES OF STIMULATION - RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PERSONALITY AND DESIRED MOOD STATES

Theories of optimal arousal and stimulation seeking propose that indiv iduals differ in the amount of stimulation they typically prefer. In t he current study we propose that individuals differ in the moods they find desirable, due to the level of arousal inherent in different mood states. Are there meaningful individual differences in the types of m oods people desire and, if so, are these predictable from various pers onality theories? To examine the structure and personality correlates of desired moods, subjects rated a list of 48 mood adjectives twice (t he actual frequency of experience, and the desirability of experiencin g each item), and completed a series of personality scales known from previous research to correlate with self-rated affect. Results indicat e that, on average, desired moods conform primarily to the presence of pleasant and the absence of unpleasant affect, the hedonic dimension of mood. The activation or arousal dimension of desired moods showed s trong correlations with personality. For example, extraversion correla ted with the desire for activated affect, and neuroticism correlated w ith the desire for low activation emotions. Factor analyses indicate t hat the underlying structure of desired moods is similar, but simpler, than that of actual moods.