RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TIME OF DAY, DAY OF THE WEEK, AND POSITIVE MOOD- EXPLORING THE ROLE OF THE MOOD MEASURE

This study examined the relationship between time of day, day of the w eek, and two measures of positive affect (PA). According to previous r esearch and the circumplex model of affect, one scale was designed to assess the activation component of PA, and the other one measured the pleasantness aspect. Subjects rated their mood three times a day for 7 consecutive days. Consistent with our hypotheses, PA-Pleasantness sho wed a peak on the weekend, whereas PA-Activation remained stable throu ghout the week. Regarding time of day, maximum PA-Activation was reach ed in the afternoon. In contrast, the Pleasantness component of PA inc reased from morning to evening. Implications of these results as well as other findings concerning the differential content of ''PA'' measur es are discussed regarding the fact that a certain scale is most appro priate and maximally valid for representing certain aspects of affecti ve experience.