Attentional Effects on Mood Are Moderated by Chronic Self-Conception Valence

Positive and negative self -conception subjects rated their mood under either self-focused attention or other-focused attention conditions. Self-focused attention was partially induced by instructing subjects to write a story about themselves, whereas other focused attention was partially elicited by instructing subjects to write a story about an acquaintance. Attentional effects on mood were moderated by the valence of subjects' chronic selfconceptions. Under self-focused attention conditions, positive selfconception subjects reported feeling happier than nega tive selfconception subjects. However under other focused atten tion conditions, positive and negative self conception subjects did not differ in their reported mood. Supplementary analyses ruled out the possibility that the relation obtained between self conception valence and mood was mediated by the valenceof the stories that subjects wrote.