Media Mood Manipulation: Examination of Mood Changes in a 24-Hour Activities Diary

Previous research suggests that media use is often motivated by a desire to change one’s mood states (prolong positive moods and reduce negative moods). Based on 24-hour activities diaries generated by 27 participants, this study provided support for the notion that media use can serve a mood management function. We found that negative moods existing prior to media use were significantly reduced during the use of media. Positive moods, on the other hand, showed a significant increase. Interestingly, positive mood states returned to pre-use levels immediately after the media use, whereas negative mood states continued to show a general decrease after the media use. Theoretical implications of this study are discussed.

Citation:

Ronald Faber, Xiaoli Nan, and Brittany Duff (2006) ,"Media Mood Manipulation: Examination of Mood Changes in a 24-Hour Activities Diary", in AP - Asia-Pacific Advances in Consumer Research Volume 7, eds. Margaret Craig Lees, Teresa Davis, and Gary Gregory, Sydney, Australia : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 414-415.