Although this study was able to make conclusions about fluctuation in sexuality, they generally did not have many conclusions to draw about mood, and their experimental set-up may be partially to blame.

Each participant was studied for only one cycle, which makes the study’s findings hard to generalize, as they lack continuity. Additionally, subjects were asked to “choose a period during which they expected no special life events” which included things such as exams, birthdays, and weddings; they were also asked to refrain from drinking and going to bed late.

The chosen participants only included those who: are in a “stable single-partner relationship” (whether married or not), do not use oral contraceptives, and do not have severe premenstrual symptoms (or being treated for such) - these seem to limit the diversity (and generalizability) of the study further.

While there are obviously many factors which could interfere with one’s mood, it seems as though this study removed so many daily-life factors that the experiment no longer maintains mundane realism. Without the subjects partaking in their daily life, the experimenters are not getting a real picture into the way their bodies operate throughout the menstrual cycle.