“I Get So Energetic and Dominating!” A study of hypomanic personality and conflicting self-perception during activated states in a co-operative task

Few studies have investigated the role of context-specific self-appraisals in the development of manic and hypomanic symptoms. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between hypomanic personality and self-appraisals within a goal-directed, interpersonal task following a positive mood induction. Participants were asked to cooperate in pairs to construct a house out of Lego bricks. Private and public-self-appraisals of performance during this task were then assessed, along with participant’s appraisals of their partner’s performance. High hypomanic personality participants made higher ratings on high-intensity traits, whether positive (e.g. “energetic”) or negative (e.g. “dominating”), than the low hypomanic personality group. It is proposed that such conflicting and extreme appraisals of highly activated states may leave individuals vulnerable to mood swings.