Previous research on premenstrual tension has typically focused on
the hormonal or biological theories of premenstrual tension. Recent research,
however, has begun to show a relationship between negative expectancies
and reports of premenstrual suffering. In this study it was
hypothesized that negative expectancies could be changed by exposing
participants to information which either increased or decreased their
sense of control over premenstrual symptomatology. It was proposed that
information which offered participants a way to control premenstrual
symptoms would decrease expectations while information which informed
participants that they could not control their symptoms would increase
negative expectations. In this study it was further hypothesized that
participants exposed to information which decreased their negative expectancies
would report more positive moods during the premenstrual phase
of the menstrual cycle than those subjects exposed to information which
increased their expectations for premenstrual tension. Results from this
study supported the hypothesis that expectancies for premenstrual tension
are related to the participants' sense of control over premenstrual tension.
However, results did not show a relationship between daily reports of
mood during the premenstrual phase and negative expectations.
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