Mood

Emotional states are intense, typically short-lived reactions to emotional stimuli (e.g., a snake or an insult). Mood states are more common and less intense, and what they capture is how a person feels, subjectively, at a given time. Mood states, unlike emotions, need not be accompanied by marked changes in physiology, expression, or behavior. They can, however, make it more likely that corresponding emotions will occur (e.g., an irritated mood rendering anger more likely). Mood states figure prominently in a number of mental health disorders and are especially important to the mood and anxiety disorders. This entry briefly touches on the ubiquity of mood, its structure, how to assess it, and its antecedents and consequences.