In an experiment with over 700 participants, those randomly assigned to a negative mood induction reported more cannabis-related problems and more negative cannabis expectancies than controls, even though actual use did not differ.
Cannabis researchers, clinicians assessing substance use, and people interested in how mood affects self-perception
Mood biased problem reporting
What the researchers found
Participants assigned to the negative affect induction reported significantly greater negative cannabis expectancies and more cannabis problems compared to the control group, after controlling for age and education. This suggests that current mood state can bias self-reports of substance use outcomes, which has implications for research and clinical assessment.
Why it matters
Most cannabis research and clinical assessments rely on self-reported problems. If being in a bad mood inflates reports of cannabis problems, then study findings and clinical evaluations conducted when patients are distressed may overestimate the harms of cannabis use.
The numbers in context
700+ participants; negative affect induction significantly increased reported cannabis problems; significantly increased negative cannabis expectancies; actual cannabis use was not different between groups
How the study worked
Randomized experimental study of over 700 participants recruited from Amazon MTurk. After baseline affect and demographics, participants were randomly assigned to a negative affect induction or control condition. Post-induction measures assessed affect state and cannabis-related variables.
What this study cannot tell us
Online sample from MTurk may not represent clinical populations. The mood induction was brief and artificial. Cannot determine whether mood bias affects all types of self-reported substance measures equally. Did not test whether positive mood produces opposite bias.
How to read the evidence
Randomized experimental design with large sample, but online MTurk participants may not represent clinical populations
When this study was published
2023 study
The bigger picture
This finding could have wide-ranging implications for cannabis research methodology. If mood state biases reporting, then studies that assess participants during stressful times (clinic visits, withdrawal periods) may systematically overestimate cannabis-related problems.
Questions still open
- Should cannabis researchers control for current mood state when collecting self-reports? Does this bias affect reports for other substances similarly? Would mood-neutral assessment protocols produce different prevalence estimates for cannabis problems?
Common questions
Can your mood affect how you perceive your cannabis use?
What does this mean for cannabis research?
Read the original research
Induced negative affect's impact on self-reported cannabis use, expectancies, and problems.
Addictive behaviors, 141, 107652
Citation
Altman, Brianna R; Earleywine, Mitch. (2023). Induced negative affect's impact on self-reported cannabis use, expectancies, and problems.. Addictive behaviors, 141, 107652. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107652
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