The social mood concept developed is based on four principal theoretical frameworks:

  1. Socionomics (Prechter 2003, Casti 2010) – how the social mood, the way a population feels about the future, biases and shapes the character and timing of social events, such as elections, political and social upheavals and economic trends (National Coordination Secretariat 2008, 143-168).
  1. Mental model concept of Complex Adaptive Systems theory (Andersson 1999, Morel and Ramanujam 1999, Stacey 2000) cognitive filter theory (Ansoff 1979 , Weick 2001)
  1. Identity concept of Jane Dutton and acculturation theory of John W. Berry. Dutton (Dutton 1987, Berry 2006) defines identity as the outcome of two elements; a perceived identity of person/organisation/nation and the person’s desired future. For diagnostic purposes we are using the acculturation model that has been developed (Berry, 2006); Rudimin, 2003) for understanding the dynamics of the social system.
  1. The concept of social/psychological contagion describes transmission of attitudes, beliefs and behaviors among people (Christakis & Fowler 2007, Dodds & Watts 2004, 2005, Granovetter 1978). Like a virus, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors can spread out through interactions among people. As a matter of fact, this concept is particular relevant for the spreading of social mood states, since social mood arises not only from individual moods, but in particular from interactions of people with their social environment.