Induced mood and estimates of past success

Depressed subjects make lower retrospective estimates of success on experimental tasks than non-depressed controls. This could be an effect of depressed mood on retrieval of information rather than a more enduring aspect of depressives' cognitive organization. To examine this possibility, elated or depressed mood was induced in normal subjects after they had performed an experimental task. Retrospective estimates of success on the task were lower when made in depressed mood than in elated mood. Control conditions suggested that the results were not effects of experimental demand.