Design And Validation Of The Approach-Avoidance Mood Measure: Integrating The Structural And Functional Approaches To Mood

Most mood research has emphasized mood from a structural paradigm. Structural mood paradigms focus on two structural dimensions of mood: activation and hedonic tone. More recently, some researchers have proposed an alternative way to examine mood. The argument is that the functions that mood states serve are more useful in understanding the mood- environment relationship than are the structural components of those moods. Two functional systems, an approach system and an avoidance system, provide the link between mood states and the environment. The approach system informs the individual about progress made toward desired positive outcomes (i.e., outcomes to be achieved). The avoidance system informs the individual about progress made away from undesired outcomes (i.e., outcomes to be avoided). Four studies were designed to develop and validate a measure of mood consistent with this functional theory. The Approach-Avoidance Mood Measure (AAMM) was developed using the lexical approach to evaluate functional mood states.