Explaining negative "mystery moods".

• Position: Your Life - Nonconscious goals - Brief Article

Have you ever been in a bad mood that you couldn't explain and wondered what put you in a funk? Research by Tanya Chartrand, assistant professor of psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, found that such negative "mystery moods" can occur when people fail at a goal that they didn't even know they had. Such nonconscious goals can have significant effects on how we feel and act, and even on how well we achieve other goals.

"If you succeed at a goal you didn't know you had, you're in a good mood and don't know why," Chartrand points out. "But if you fail at a nonconscious goal, you're put into this negative mystery mood." Nonconscious goals are those that individuals have frequently and consistently chosen in particular situations in the past--so much so that they eventually become triggered automatically in those same environments without their conscious thought or even intent. For example, young people who begin attending parties may start by very consciously thinking about how to best present themselves to others, and carefully monitor how they act and what they say. Over time, the features of the party environment become...