Do the Phases of the Moon Affect the Way We Feel?

Research Questions:

• Does the phase of the moon have any effect on mood?
• Are people more likely to be stressed, anxious or short-tempered during a full moon?
• Are people more likely to be calm and relaxed during a new moon?
• Is one gender more likely to be influenced by the moon’s phases?

Is there a certain age group that is more susceptible to the moon’s influence on mood? It has long been believed that the moon holds power over our daily lives. Some people think that the new moon creates calmness while a full moon can enhance feelings of stress and frustration. In this experiment, the emotional disposition of many test subjects will be evaluated over one lunar phase cycle to see if the moon can really impact mood.

Materials:

• References describing the different phases of the moon and possible effects on mood.
• Calendar (or another resource) that includes the date of each upcoming moon phase
• Approximately 20 test subjects
• Computer
• Printer
• Notebook for analyzing results

Experimental Procedure:

• Create a survey to give your test subjects that analyzes their current state of mind. Example questions could include: Rate your current level of stress on a scale of 1 to 10. How many fights/disagreements have you had in the past week? How many times have you honked your horn while driving in your car this week? On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with your life? How many good things have happened to you this week?
• Ask many test subjects to take your survey. Include males and females in many different age groups.
• Ask the same test subjects to repeat the survey four times in one month. The survey should be taken on the day of the current month that corresponds to the new moon, first quarter, full moon and last quarter.
• Analyze the surveys taken by each test subject. Do you observe any patterns in your test subjects’ response to each survey? Are responses altered dramatically during certain parts of the month, or do you observe a shift in answers that is more subtle? Are there certain groups of people that seem to be more influenced by the moon?

Terms/Concepts: Phases of the moon; What affects mood?