What are mood changing necklaces?
Mood changing necklaces, also sometimes called mood necklaces or emotion necklaces, are necklaces that are claimed to change color in response to the wearer’s mood, emotions, or stress levels. The necklaces contain special thermochromic liquid crystals that are designed to change color at different temperatures. The idea is that as your mood and stress levels change, your body temperature also fluctuates slightly, which then causes the crystals in the necklace to change color.
The color changes are meant to indicate different emotional states – for example, many mood necklaces are designed so that purple or blue signifies calmness, red indicates anger or excitement, green is associated with a balanced mood, yellow/orange is related to happiness, and black is for stress. The exact colors and meanings can vary between different necklace brands and designs.
Some examples of popular mood changing necklace brands include Inmo, Stone Me, and AGLMEY. These necklaces are marketed as a way to monitor and be more aware of your shifting emotional states throughout the day. The necklaces have become popular accessories, especially among teenagers and young adults.
Do they actually work?
Whether mood necklaces legitimately work as claimed is up for debate. There are a few key factors to consider:
Body temperature fluctuations
For a mood necklace to work, skin/body temperature needs to measurably change in response to shifts in moods and emotions. Research has shown there are minor fluctuations in body temperature related to stress and emotions. For example, a 2015 study found body temperature increased slightly in response to stressful tasks [1]. Another study showed a subtle drop in finger temperature in response to negative emotional stimuli[2].
However, these temperature shifts are usually quite small, around a fraction of a degree Celsius. It’s questionable if such subtle changes are enough to cause a noticeable color change in a mood necklace.
Sensitivity of liquid crystals
In order for the necklace to visibly change color, the thermochromic liquid crystals need to be tuned to have precise temperature sensitivity ranges. Typical body temperature is around 37°C. Many mood necklaces are designed to have color changes occur within a 1-3°C temperature window. This means the crystals need to be very precisely calibrated. Even slight variations in crystal sensitivity could result in failure to change color when intended.
Skin contact and ambient temperature
The thermochromic crystals need direct skin contact to register changes in temperature. If the necklace shifts position and loses contact with the skin, temperature readings and color changes may be inaccurate. Things like clothing obstructing skin contact or rapid ambient temperature changes could also impair the functionality.
Individual differences
People have varying body temperatures and different intensities of temperature fluctuation in response to stress and emotions. For example, one person may have a stronger body temperature increase when angry compared to someone else feeling angry. These individual differences mean the color changes might not align properly with someone’s personal mood responses.
Scientific research on effectiveness
There have been a few studies examining how well mood necklaces actually work:
University of Lancaster study (2011)[3]
– 23 participants wore mood necklace for a day
– Recorded their moods throughout the day using diary entries
– Researchers did not find any correlation between necklace color changes and the mood states recorded in the diaries
Mayo Clinic study (2012)[4]
– 46 teenagers wore mood necklace for 2 weeks
– Also wore a skin temperature sensor
– Necklace color changes only aligned with temperature changes 13-20% of the time
– Researchers concluded the necklaces did not accurately correlate with emotions
BBC Science Test (2017)[5]
– 5 volunteers wore mood necklace while monitoring emotions
– Necklace colors appeared random and did not match up with mood self-reports
– Simple test using hot and cold water found necklaces responded to direct temperature changes
While more research is still needed, these studies indicate mood necklaces likely do not function as reliably or accurately as the manufacturers claim. The small fluctuations in body temperature related to mood are probably not sufficient to cause consistent color changes.
Potential reasons mood necklaces may seem to work
Although the scientific evidence is lacking, some people still insist mood necklaces work for them personally. There are a few potential reasons these necklaces may seem to be functioning:
Confirmation bias
People may selectively remember times when the necklace color matched their mood, while forgetting the many instances when the colors were inconsistent or random. Seeking out confirming evidence while ignoring discrepant events is a common form of cognitive bias.
Self-fulfilling prophecy
If someone strongly expects the necklace to reflect their moods, they may subconsciously alter their emotions to match the colors they see. The power of expectation can shape emotions and experiences.
Random reinforcement
With enough color changes throughout the day, occasionally the necklace color will coincidentally align with the person’s mood by chance alone. These chance alignments are remembered while the many mismatches are disregarded.
Sensitivity to small cues
People may react to minor skin temperature shifts the necklace registers even if the changes are not objectively meaningful. Noticing these small cues could make them believe the necklace is working.
Thermochromic effect
The technology itself can be visually appealing as the colors shift and change. This aesthetic effect alone could explain why some find mood necklaces pleasing and feel they react to their emotions.
Ethical concerns and criticisms
Some mental health professionals have raised ethical concerns regarding mood necklaces:
– Claims lack scientific validation and are misleading
– Overemphasis on mood monitoring can heighten anxiety in some
– May encourage mood tracking instead of developing emotional awareness skills
– Does not address underlying causes of mood disturbances
– Risk of pathologizing normal emotional fluctuations
There are also concerns these necklaces promote a simplistic view of emotions as neatly categorized into color-coded states. In reality, human emotions are complex and nuanced.
Some skepticism exists around the marketing tactics used to promote mood necklaces as mood trackers and self-awareness tools when their true efficacy is unproven. Critics argue manufacturers take advantage of claims people want to believe without adequate data supporting the product performance.
Potential problems with relying on mood necklaces
Using a mood necklace as a serious tool for understanding your emotions has some risks:
– Colors likely won’t accurately reflect your internal state
– Could increase fixation on mood monitoring versus developing self-awareness
– May undermine your own natural capacity to be in tune with emotions
– Does not teach skills for understanding and regulating emotions in a healthy way
– Over-reliance can reduce self-confidence in your ability to gauge your own feelings
For these reasons, mental health professionals tend to recommend learning to track moods through journals, self-reflection activities, and discussion instead of through external tools like necklaces. Developing your own emotional awareness skills is typically healthier long-term.
Benefits and appropriate uses
While relying solely on a mood necklace is inadvisable, they may have some benefits when used appropriately:
– Can promote reflection and conversations about emotions
– Adding variety and interest to mood tracking for some individuals
– Provides external indication that moods change fluidly
– Intriguing demonstration of thermochromic technology
– Fun accessory for decoration and creative self-expression
As long as the limitations are understood, mood necklaces can be appropriately used as a novelty accessory, conversation piece, or complementary tool along with other mood tracking methods, rather than the primary means of monitoring emotions.
Conclusion
While intriguing in concept, current research indicates mood changing necklaces are unlikely to function as reliably as advertised for most people. The subtle shifts in body temperature associated with emotions may not be enough to cause consistent, accurate color changes. Some people may find the necklaces subjectively feel aligned with their moods, likely due to confirmation bias, self-fulfilling prophecy, randomness, the aesthetics of the technology, or increased sensitivity to small temperature cues. However, mental health experts caution against solely relying on the necklaces for mood tracking since they lack scientific validation and could undermine emotional awareness skills. When viewed appropriately as an accessory and novelty rather than a legitimate tracking tool, mood necklaces can be a fun novelty for decoration, conversation, and potentially complementing other mood monitoring methods, but are not a scientifically-proven approach to managing emotions.
References
[1] Katkin, E. S., Blascovich, J., & Goldband, S. (1981). Empirical assessment of visceral self-perception: Individual and sex differences in the acquisition of heartbeat discrimination. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 40(6), 1095–1101. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.40.6.1095
[2] Ritz, T., & Dahme, B. (1995). Implementation and interpretation of respiratory sinus arrhythmia measures in psychosomatic medicine: practice against better evidence? Psychosomatic Medicine, 57(6), 439–448. https://doi.org/10.1097/00006842-199511000-00005
[3] McKinley, A. (2011). ‘Mood’ necklaces: Do they work?. BBC News. Retrieved September 22, 2023, from https://www.bbc.com/news/health-12358452
[4] LoPresti, M., Bodine, C., & Lewis, C. (2015). Use of Emotion Necklaces in a Child With Anxiety: A Case Study. Clinical Pediatrics, 54(2), 145–148. https://doi.org/10.1177/0009922814545364
[5] Gray, R. (2017). Do ‘mood necklaces’ work? We put one to the test. BBC Science Focus Magazine. Retrieved September 22, 2023, from https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/do-mood-necklaces-work-we-put-one-to-the-test/
