MULTIPLE SELF CONCEPTS AS EFFECTED BY MOOD STATES

An experiment was performed to study the hypothesis that two distinct selves occur when moods are varied. Following a definition of the term "self" an experiment was designed to produce hypnotically two distinct sell concepts by the induction of the moods of depression and elation. Twenty Ss. responded to an identical self-reference scale 3 times, first during a waking state, then under hypnotic depression, followed by hypnotic elation. Memory was controlled hypnotically. The scale consisted of 100 items evenly divided for adjustment and maladjustment. Chi-square analyses for each S. revealed that 14 Ss. apparently shifted orientation while 6 Ss. did not. It was speculated that there was considerable similarity between these artificially induced value orientations and actual case recordings.