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Zhang Y, Guo Z, Liu Y, Zhou Y, Jing L. Is dancing an effective intervention for fat loss? A systematic review and meta-analysis of dance interventions on body composition. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296089. [PMID: 38232096 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The systematic review aimed to review the research on the effects of dance interventions, relative to normal lifestyles, on body composition in people with overweight and obesity. METHODS 7 databases were searched from their inception to 3 July 2023 for studies with dance interventions and normal lifestyles groups. Only studies investigating dance interventions in people with overweight and obesity(body mass index (BMI)>24kg/m2 and percent fat mass (Fat(%)) abnormal(male>20%, female>25%)) were included in the meta-analysis. There were no restrictions on dance forms. RESULTS 654 studies were identified from the databases, and 10 studies were evaluated to be eligible. The meta-analysis revealed that compared to normal lifestyles dance had meaningful improvements in body mass(BM), BMI, waist circumference(WC), Fat(%), and fat mass(Fat(kg)). No significant differences were found in the waist-to-hip ratio(WHR). CONCLUSIONS Dance is effective on fat loss in people with overweight and obesity, and has a significant improvement on body composition and morphology. For its high efficiency and greater sense of enjoyment, dance can be a beneficial exercise intervention for fat loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaya Zhang
- School of Physical Education, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, China
| | - Zhicheng Guo
- Clinical Research Innovation and transformation Center, Zhangjiagang First People's Hospital, Suzhou, China
| | - Yin Liu
- School of Physical Education, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, China
| | - Yongxu Zhou
- School of Physical Education, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, China
| | - Longjun Jing
- School of Physical Education, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, China
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Pfeiffer JL, Sowitzki SK, Schäfer T, Euteneuer F. Effects of pole dance on mental wellbeing and the sexual self-concept-a pilot randomized-controlled trial. BMC Psychol 2023; 11:274. [PMID: 37710349 PMCID: PMC10503020 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-023-01322-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prior studies on beneficial effects of dance have primarily focused on traditional and expressionistic dance forms, neglecting newer dance styles like pole dance, which employ distinct techniques. The present pilot randomized controlled trial examined psychological and psychosexual effects of pole dancing. METHODS Fifty women were randomized to an eight-weeks pole dancing program or waitlist. The primary outcome was global mental wellbeing. Secondary outcomes included several dimensions of the sexual self-concept, as well as body appreciation and global self-esteem. RESULTS Compared to waitlist, the pole dance group showed an increase in mental wellbeing and improvements in sexual self-efficacy, sexual anxiety, sexual self-esteem, and body appreciation. CONCLUSIONS Pole dancing may have broad psychological effects on both overall mental wellbeing and important domains of the sexual self-concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jalda Lena Pfeiffer
- Department of Psychology, MSB Medical School Berlin, Rüdesheimer Strasse 50, 14197, Berlin, Germany
| | - Setia Kati Sowitzki
- Department of Psychology, MSB Medical School Berlin, Rüdesheimer Strasse 50, 14197, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Schäfer
- Department of Psychology, MSB Medical School Berlin, Rüdesheimer Strasse 50, 14197, Berlin, Germany
| | - Frank Euteneuer
- Department of Psychology, MSB Medical School Berlin, Rüdesheimer Strasse 50, 14197, Berlin, Germany.
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Linge I. Queer Ecology in Loïe Fuller's Modernist Dance and Magnus Hirschfeld's Die Transvestiten. ENVIRONMENTAL HUMANITIES 2022; 14:618-640. [PMID: 36544892 PMCID: PMC7613976 DOI: 10.1215/22011919-9962937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Dance orients the performer's body toward both environment and pleasure, yet the intersection of environmental and sexual attunement in dance practice remains an underexplored area of research. This article considers how environmental and sexual readings of dance practice can be brought together by proposing a queer ecological approach to modernist dance. Drawing on research in dance studies, feminist and queer science studies, and sexology studies, the article examines the work of Loïe Fuller, an early pioneer of modernist dance, to show how Fuller's work engages with themes of both sex and nature and consequently introduces environmentally attuned thinking to early twentieth century sexual knowledge production. By examining the parallels and divergences between Magnus Hirschfeld's early twentieth-century sexological writing about "transvestitism" and Loïe Fuller's modernist dance, via the copycat dancer Henry Cyril Paget, I show that both dance and sexology rethought the relationship between sex and nature by grappling, to different extents, with a queer vision of nature, where nature loses its explanatory force and moral authority. This reveals the importance of nature and the nonhuman in the production of modern concepts of sex, gender, and sexuality and the important role that dance can play in illuminating the intersection of sex and nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ina Linge
- Department of Languages, Cultures and Visual Studies, University of Exeter, UK
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4
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Music as a trait in evolutionary theory: A musicological perspective. Behav Brain Sci 2021; 44:e93. [PMID: 34588036 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x20001193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Although it can be straightforward to define the features of physical traits, complex cultural categories tend to elude widely accepted definitions that transcend cultural and historical context. Addressing papers by Mehr et al. and Savage et al., which both aim to explain music as an evolved trait, we discuss fundamental problems that arise from their conceptualizations of music.
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Braun N, Kotera Y. Influence of Dance on Embodied Self-Awareness and Well-Being: An Interpretative Phenomenological Exploration. JOURNAL OF CREATIVITY IN MENTAL HEALTH 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/15401383.2021.1924910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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7
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Wade TJ, Fisher ML, Salmon C, Downs C. Want to Hookup?: Sex Differences in Short-term Mate Attraction Tactics. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s40806-021-00282-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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8
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Christensen JF, Vartanian M, Sancho-Escanero L, Khorsandi S, Yazdi SHN, Farahi F, Borhani K, Gomila A. A Practice-Inspired Mindset for Researching the Psychophysiological and Medical Health Effects of Recreational Dance (Dance Sport). Front Psychol 2021; 11:588948. [PMID: 33716840 PMCID: PMC7950321 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.588948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
“Dance” has been associated with many psychophysiological and medical health effects. However, varying definitions of what constitute “dance” have led to a rather heterogenous body of evidence about such potential effects, leaving the picture piecemeal at best. It remains unclear what exact parameters may be driving positive effects. We believe that this heterogeneity of evidence is partly due to a lack of a clear definition of dance for such empirical purposes. A differentiation is needed between (a) the effects on the individual when the activity of “dancing” is enjoyed as a dancer within different dance domains (e.g., professional/”high-art” type of dance, erotic dance, religious dance, club dancing, Dance Movement Therapy (DMT), and what is commonly known as hobby, recreational or social dance), and (b) the effects on the individual within these different domains, as a dancer of the different dance styles (solo dance, partnering dance, group dance; and all the different styles within these). Another separate category of dance engagement is, not as a dancer, but as a spectator of all of the above. “Watching dance” as part of an audience has its own set of psychophysiological and neurocognitive effects on the individual, and depends on the context where dance is witnessed. With the help of dance professionals, we first outline some different dance domains and dance styles, and outline aspects that differentiate them, and that may, therefore, cause differential empirical findings when compared regardless (e.g., amount of interpersonal contact, physical exertion, context, cognitive demand, type of movements, complexity of technique and ratio of choreography/improvisation). Then, we outline commonalities between all dance styles. We identify six basic components that are part of any dance practice, as part of a continuum, and review and discuss available research for each of them concerning the possible health and wellbeing effects of each of these components, and how they may relate to the psychophysiological and health effects that are reported for “dancing”: (1) rhythm and music, (2) sociality, (3) technique and fitness, (4) connection and connectedness (self-intimation), (5) flow and mindfulness, (6) aesthetic emotions and imagination. Future research efforts might take into account the important differences between types of dance activities, as well as the six components, for a more targeted assessment of how “dancing” affects the human body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia F Christensen
- Department for Language and Literature, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | | | | | - S H N Yazdi
- 3Fish Corporate Filmmaking, Istanbul, Turkey
| | | | - Khatereh Borhani
- Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Antoni Gomila
- Department of Psychology, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain
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9
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Environmental threat influences preferences for sexual dimorphism in male and female faces but not voices or dances. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2020.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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10
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Fink B, Shackelford TK. Why Did Dance Evolve? A Comment on Laland, Wilkins, and Clayton (2016). EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s40806-016-0075-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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11
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Optimal asymmetry and other motion parameters that characterise high-quality female dance. Sci Rep 2017; 7:42435. [PMID: 28181991 PMCID: PMC5299992 DOI: 10.1038/srep42435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Dance is a universal human behaviour that is observed particularly in courtship contexts, and that provides information that could be useful to potential partners. Here, we use a data-driven approach to pinpoint the movements that discriminate female dance quality. Using 3D motion-capture we recorded women whilst they danced to a basic rhythm. Video clips of 39 resultant avatars were rated for dance quality, and those ratings were compared to quantitative measurements of the movement patterns using multi-level models. Three types of movement contributed independently to high-quality female dance: greater hip swing, more asymmetric movements of the thighs, and intermediate levels of asymmetric movements of the arms. Hip swing is a trait that identifies female movement, and the ability to move limbs asymmetrically (i.e. independently of the other) may attest to well-developed motor control, so long as this limb independence does not verge into uncontrolled pathological movement. We also found that the same level of dance quality could be predicted by different combinations of dance features. Our work opens avenues to exploring the functional significance, informational content, and temporal sequencing of the different types of movement in dance.
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12
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Richter J, Ostovar R. "It Don't Mean a Thing if It Ain't Got that Swing"- an Alternative Concept for Understanding the Evolution of Dance and Music in Human Beings. Front Hum Neurosci 2016; 10:485. [PMID: 27774058 PMCID: PMC5054692 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2015] [Accepted: 09/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The functions of dance and music in human evolution are a mystery. Current research on the evolution of music has mainly focused on its melodic attribute which would have evolved alongside (proto-)language. Instead, we propose an alternative conceptual framework which focuses on the co-evolution of rhythm and dance (R&D) as intertwined aspects of a multimodal phenomenon characterized by the unity of action and perception. Reviewing the current literature from this viewpoint we propose the hypothesis that R&D have co-evolved long before other musical attributes and (proto-)language. Our view is supported by increasing experimental evidence particularly in infants and children: beat is perceived and anticipated already by newborns and rhythm perception depends on body movement. Infants and toddlers spontaneously move to a rhythm irrespective of their cultural background. The impulse to dance may have been prepared by the susceptibility of infants to be soothed by rocking. Conceivable evolutionary functions of R&D include sexual attraction and transmission of mating signals. Social functions include bonding, synchronization of many individuals, appeasement of hostile individuals, and pre- and extra-verbal communication enabling embodied individual and collective memorizing. In many cultures R&D are used for entering trance, a base for shamanism and early religions. Individual benefits of R&D include improvement of body coordination, as well as painkilling, anti-depressive, and anti-boredom effects. Rhythm most likely paved the way for human speech as supported by studies confirming the overlaps between cognitive and neural resources recruited for language and rhythm. In addition, dance encompasses visual and gestural communication. In future studies attention should be paid to which attribute of music is focused on and that the close mutual relation between R&D is taken into account. The possible evolutionary functions of dance deserve more attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Richter
- Institute of Tropical Medicine and International Health, Charité UniversitätsmedizinBerlin, Germany
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13
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Fan PF, Ma CY, Garber PA, Zhang W, Fei HL, Xiao W. Rhythmic displays of female gibbons offer insight into the origin of dance. Sci Rep 2016; 6:34606. [PMID: 27687686 PMCID: PMC5043361 DOI: 10.1038/srep34606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Dance is a universal art form practiced by all human societies and has many functions including sexual attraction, social cohesion, and the therapeutic release of energy. Dance also has been reported in a small number of non-human primate species, in particular apes. However, its function has not been systematically evaluated. We observed 357 intentional, rhythmic, and nonverbal dance displays performed by four adult female cao vit gibbons (Nomascus nasutus) residing in four polygynous groups during 3000 h of observation in Bangliang, Guangxi, China. Females used dance to solicit copulations, as well as to promote a social bond with the group's lone adult male. In addition, this display appears to represent a form of non-aggressive competition among adult females living in the same group. We found that a female who had a weaker social relationship with the breeding male increased her social and sexual access to the male by an increase in dancing frequency. Given that gibbons dance in various behavioral contexts, and appears to serve several important social and sexual functions, a greater understanding of this form of gestural communication offers an instructive model for examining the origin and evolution of dance in humans and other apes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng-Fei Fan
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, P.R. China
- Institute of Eastern-Himalaya Biodiversity Research, Dali University, Yunnan 671000, P. R. China
| | - Chang-Yong Ma
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, P.R. China
- Institute of Eastern-Himalaya Biodiversity Research, Dali University, Yunnan 671000, P. R. China
| | - Paul A. Garber
- Department of Anthropology Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States of America
| | - Wen Zhang
- Institute of Eastern-Himalaya Biodiversity Research, Dali University, Yunnan 671000, P. R. China
| | - Han-Lan Fei
- Institute of Eastern-Himalaya Biodiversity Research, Dali University, Yunnan 671000, P. R. China
| | - Wen Xiao
- Institute of Eastern-Himalaya Biodiversity Research, Dali University, Yunnan 671000, P. R. China
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Men's perception of women's dance movements depends on mating context, but not men's sociosexual orientation. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2015.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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16
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Fink B, Weege B, Neave N, Pham MN, Shackelford TK. Integrating body movement into attractiveness research. Front Psychol 2015; 6:220. [PMID: 25784887 PMCID: PMC4347579 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2014] [Accepted: 02/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
People judge attractiveness and make trait inferences from the physical appearance of others, and research reveals high agreement among observers making such judgments. Evolutionary psychologists have argued that interest in physical appearance and beauty reflects adaptations that motivate the search for desirable qualities in a potential partner. Although men more than women value the physical appearance of a partner, appearance universally affects social perception in both sexes. Most studies of attractiveness perceptions have focused on third party assessments of static representations of the face and body. Corroborating evidence suggests that body movement, such as dance, also conveys information about mate quality. Here we review evidence that dynamic cues (e.g., gait, dance) also influence perceptions of mate quality, including personality traits, strength, and overall attractiveness. We recommend that attractiveness research considers the informational value of body movement in addition to static cues, to present an integrated perspective on human social perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Fink
- Institute of Psychology, University of Göttingen , Göttingen, Germany ; Courant Research Center Evolution of Social Behavior, University of Göttingen , Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bettina Weege
- Institute of Psychology, University of Göttingen , Göttingen, Germany ; Courant Research Center Evolution of Social Behavior, University of Göttingen , Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nick Neave
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University , Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Michael N Pham
- Department of Psychology, Oakland University , Rochester, MI, USA
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Women’s Attractiveness Perception of Men’s Dance Movements in Relation to Self-Reported and Perceived Personality. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s40806-014-0004-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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18
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Fink B, Weege B, Neave N, Ried B, Cardoso Do Lago O. Female Perceptions of Male Body Movements. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-0314-6_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
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Cappelle T, Fink B. Changes in Women's Attractiveness Perception of Masculine Men's Dances across the Ovulatory Cycle: Preliminary Data. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2013. [DOI: 10.1177/147470491301100503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Women's preferences for putative cues of genetic quality in men's voices, faces, bodies, and behavioral displays are stronger during the fertile phase of the ovulatory cycle. Here we show that ovulatory cycle-related changes in women's attractiveness perceptions of male features are also found with dance movements, especially those perceived as highly masculine. Dance movements of 79 British men were recorded with an optical motion-capture system whilst dancing to a basic rhythm. Virtual humanoid characters (avatars) were created and converted into 15-second video clips and rated by 37 women on masculinity. Another 23 women judged the attractiveness of the 10 dancers who scored highest and those 10 who scored lowest on masculinity once in days of high fertility and once in days of low fertility of their ovulatory cycle. High-masculine dancers were judged higher on attractiveness around ovulation than on other cycle days, whilst no such perceptual difference was found for low-masculine dancers. We suggest that women may gain fitness benefits from evolved preferences for masculinity cues they obtain from male dance movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa Cappelle
- Department of Biological Personality Psychology and Diagnostics and Courant
Research Centre Evolution of Social Behavior, University of Göttingen,
Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bernhard Fink
- Department of Biological Personality Psychology and Diagnostics and Courant
Research Centre Evolution of Social Behavior, University of Göttingen,
Göttingen, Germany
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McCarty K, Hönekopp J, Neave N, Caplan N, Fink B. Male body movements as possible cues to physical strength: a biomechanical analysis. Am J Hum Biol 2013; 25:307-12. [PMID: 23348829 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2012] [Revised: 11/09/2012] [Accepted: 11/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Comparative research suggests that male courtship displays signal condition-dependent traits tofemales; these displays might also provide cues to potential male competitors. Although some associations betweenhuman movements and physical/behavioral qualities have been found, such research has typically only been conducted from a perspective of female mate choice. Here, using advanced motion capture and biomechanical analyses, we examine the extent to which male dancing provides cues about the dancer's physical qualities to both males and females. METHODS Thirty men aged 19-37 were recorded using motion-capture technology as they danced to a standard rhythm. Participants also completed a vascular fitness test, assessments of upper- and lower-body strength, and biomechanical indices were extracted from their dance movements. Dance clips were converted into virtual humanoid characters (avatars) and rated by 27 women and 21 men on perceived dance quality. RESULTS General linear mixed modeling revealed that both handgrip strength and arm movements of the dancer were statistically significant predictors of dance quality ratings; stronger males who displayed larger, more variable, and faster movements of their arms being rated as better dancers. There was no effect of the sex of the observer in predicting dance quality ratings, indicating that male and female observers rated dance quality equivalently. Physical fitness was not associated with perceived dance quality. CONCLUSIONS Men and women are able to derive certain quality cues from observing male dance movements in the form of controlled stimuli. Thus, male dancing may form a condition-dependent ornament of certain aspects of mate quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristofor McCarty
- Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, United Kingdom
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Neave N, McCarty K, Freynik J, Caplan N, Hönekopp J, Fink B. Male dance moves that catch a woman's eye. Biol Lett 2011; 7:221-4. [PMID: 20826469 PMCID: PMC3061152 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2010.0619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2010] [Accepted: 08/18/2010] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Male movements serve as courtship signals in many animal species, and may honestly reflect the genotypic and/or phenotypic quality of the individual. Attractive human dance moves, particularly those of males, have been reported to show associations with measures of physical strength, prenatal androgenization and symmetry. Here we use advanced three-dimensional motion-capture technology to identify possible biomechanical differences between women's perceptions of 'good' and 'bad' male dancers. Nineteen males were recorded using the 'Vicon' motion-capture system while dancing to a basic rhythm; controlled stimuli in the form of avatars were then created in the form of 15 s video clips, and rated by 39 females for dance quality. Initial analyses showed that 11 movement variables were significantly positively correlated with perceived dance quality. Linear regression subsequently revealed that three movement measures were key predictors of dance quality; these were variability and amplitude of movements of the neck and trunk, and speed of movements of the right knee. In summary, we have identified specific movements within men's dance that influence women's perceptions of dancing ability. We suggest that such movements may form honest signals of male quality in terms of health, vigour or strength, though this remains to be confirmed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick Neave
- School of Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK.
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