Development and validation of a new instrument for the measurement of transient mood states: the facial analogue mood scale (FAMS)

This investigation concems the measurement of a specific type of feeling state. The domain of interest is limited to hedonically valenced (i.e., pleasant to unpleasant) feeling states that are of low intensity, generally out of focal attention, and relatively diffuse in nature. These feeling states are typically pervasive in that they are likely to have subtle effects on cognitive, attentional, and motivational processes. In addition, the feeling states of interest are longer lasting than typical emotional episodes, although they are expected to evidence fluctuations in response to affectively relevant environmental events. Thus, the proposed domain of interest is best classified under the heading of mood.