Synchrony and exertion during dance independently raise pain threshold and encourage social bonding.
Group dancing is a ubiquitous human activity that involves exertive synchronized movement to music. It is hypothesized to play a role in social bonding, potentially via the release of endorphins, which are analgesic and reward-inducing, and have been implicated in primate social bonding. We used a 2 × 2 experimental design to examine effects of exertion and synchrony on bonding. Both demonstrated significant independent positive effects on pain threshold (a proxy for endorphin activation) and in-group bonding. This suggests that dance which involves both exertive and synchronized movement may be an effective group bonding activity.
Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK bronwyntarr01@gmail.com.
Bronwyn
B
Tarr
Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK.
Jacques
J
Launay
School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford, 51/53 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 6PE, UK Wadham College, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PN, UK.
Emma
E
Cohen
Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK.
Robin
R
Dunbar
D000293:Adolescent; D001938:Brazil; D003615:Dancing / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009146:Music; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D012919:Social Behavior
dance; endorphins; self–other merging; social bonding; synchrony