The Correlations Between Ovarian Activity and Psychodynamic Processes: II. The Menstrual Phase*

Benedek, Therese; Rubenstein, Boris B.

doi:10.1097/00006842-193910000-00002

Cited by 72 publications

(14 citation statements)

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“…Previous observations have also noted a fluctuation in cognitive/emotional function of dreams during menstrual cycle. Dreams were reported to have a higher degree of vividness, imagery, specificity and concreteness, during the luteal phase of the cycle, when passive themes also appeared to predominate (Benedek & Rubestein, 1939a, 1939bSeverino et al, 1989). The connection with progesterone production in this phase of the cycle has, however, never been made before.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of Menstrual Cycle on Dreaming

Natale¹,

Albertazzi²,

Cangini³

2003

Biological Rhythm Research

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In this study we have investigated the effect that the menstrual cycle has on dreams, sleep quality and mood. A total of 16 women, university students, with a regular menstrual cycle of 28 days, not on any form of hormonal treatment were tested over five weeks. Methods of diary of dreams, daily self-evaluation of mood and weekly selfassessment of quality of sleep were adopted. Mood scores varied significantly during the menstrual cycle (p < 0.05) with improvement of mood around the time of ovulation and worsening during the pre-menstrual phase of the cycle. Sleep quality did not vary significantly during the menstrual cycle. During the pre-ovulatory phase of the cycle dreams had the highest levels of incongruity (p < 0.05), number of positive emotions (p < 0.0005), number of male-non-self-characters (p < 0.005) and erotic content (p < 0.001). While during the pre-menstrual phase dreams were longer (p < 0.05) and with a larger number of female characters (p < 0.005) and of negative emotions (p < 0.0005). These results suggest that the hormonal variations during the menstrual cycle may have an effect on dreaming. Both the preovulatory oestrogen peak and the presence of progesterone during the luteal phase may enhance memory processes involved in the dream production.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of Menstrual Cycle on Dreaming

Natale¹,

Albertazzi²,

Cangini³

2003

Biological Rhythm Research

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“…The scientific and popular literature on menstrual mood fluctuations is more voluminous and more complex than that for weekday and lunar cycles. Up to the mid-l970s, researchers found what has come to be known as the "classic" menstrual mood pattern (Altman, Knowles, & Bull, 1941;Benedek & Rubenstein, 1939a, 1939bGolub, 1976;Ivey & Bardwick, 1968;Janowsky, Berens, & Davis, 1973;Luschen & Pierce, 1972;Moos et al, 1969;Patkai, Johannson, & Post 1974;Rossi & Rossi, 1977). It is characterized by pleasant affect in the ovulatory phase (when ovarian hormones are typically high), followed by negative affect in the premenstrual phase (when ovarian hormone concentrations are dropping) and menstrual phase (when hormones are at their lowest).…”

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confidence: 99%

Mood Fluctuations: Women Versus Men and Menstrual Versus Other Cycles

McFarlane

Martin

Williams

1988

Psychology of Women Quarterly

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Mood fluctuations in women and men were studied both prospectively and retrospectively to determine whether cyclic changes occur over phases of the menstrual cycle, lunar cycle, and/or days of the week. The participants (1 5 women using oral contraceptives, 12 normally cycling women, and 15 men), who did not know the purpose of the study, recorded the pleasantness, arousal, and stability of their moods daily for 70 days (concurrent data). Later they recalled (retrospective data) their average mood for each day of the week and phase of the menstrual cycle (women only). The only evidence of mood fluctuation over the menstrual cycle in the concurrent reports was that normally cycling women reported more pleasant moods in the follicular and menstrual phase than did men and women on oral contraceptives. Women's moods fluctuated less over the menstrual cycle than over days of the week. Recollections of menstrual mood changes differed from actual changes: Women recalled more pleasant moods in the follicular phase and more unpleasant moods in the premenstrual and menstrual phases than they had reported concurrently. Bias also was evident in recollections of weekday mood fluctuations: Weekend highs were exaggerated and Monday blues were reported even though they were not reported concurrently. There was no evidence of mood fluctuations over the lunar cycle and the groups did not differ in mood stability. The retrospective reporting bias for both the This research is based on a thesis done by the first author under the co-direction of the second and third authors and submitted to the University of British Columbia in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the M.A. degree. Portions of this work were presented at the meeting of the Canadian Psychological Association, Halifax, June 1985.We gratefully acknowledge the helpful suggestions of Boris Gorzalka, Phillip Smith, Lawrence Walker, Janet Metcalfe, and James Russell.Requests for reprints should be sent to Jessica McFarlane, Psychology Department, 2136 West Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6T 1Y7.

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“…Hormones may influence behavior through their effects on specific morphologic structures employed in particular response patterns. 4. Beach does not agree that sexual behavior is completely dependent on the sensations which originate in the accessory sex organs, but suggests that these are only a part of a complex pattern of neuromuscular reflexes.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Much of this evidence is based upon the material obtained from the psycho-analyses of neurotic women, which was correlated with the changes in the vaginal epithelium as an index of ovarian function (3,4). Most of the evidence accumulated has been incidental in the studying of various functional gynecologic conditions and their treatment by hormonal substances.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%