1
|
Wu X, Lu X, Zhang H, Wang X, Kong Y, Hu L. The association between ballroom dance training and empathic concern: Behavioral and brain evidence. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 44:315-326. [PMID: 35972315 PMCID: PMC9842917 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Dance is unique in that it is a sport and an art simultaneously. Beyond improving sensorimotor functions, dance training could benefit high-level emotional and cognitive functions. Duo dances also confer the possibility for dancers to develop the abilities to recognize, understand, and share the thoughts and feelings of their dance partners during the long-term dance training. To test this possibility, we collected high-resolution structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from 43 expert-level ballroom dancers (a model of long-term exposure to duo dance training) and 40 age-matched and sex-matched nondancers, and measured their empathic ability using a self-report trait empathy scale. We found that ballroom dancers showed higher scores of empathic concern (EC) than controls. The EC scores were positively correlated with years with dance partners but negatively correlated with the number of dance partners for ballroom dancers. These behavioral results were supported by the structural and functional MRI data. Structurally, we observed that the gray matter volumes in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and EC scores were positively correlated. Functionally, the connectivity between ACC and occipital gyrus was positively correlated with both EC scores and years with dance partners. In addition, the relationship between years with dance partners and EC scores was indirect-only mediated by the ACC-occipital gyrus functional connectivity. Therefore, our findings provided solid evidence for the close link between long-term ballroom dance training and empathy, which deepens our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying this phenomenon.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral ScienceInstitute of PsychologyBeijingChina,Department of PsychologyUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xuejing Lu
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina,CAS Key Laboratory of Mental HealthInstitute of PsychologyBeijingChina
| | - Huijuan Zhang
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina,CAS Key Laboratory of Mental HealthInstitute of PsychologyBeijingChina
| | - Xiao Wang
- School of ArtBeijing Sport UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Yazhuo Kong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral ScienceInstitute of PsychologyBeijingChina,Department of PsychologyUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Li Hu
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina,CAS Key Laboratory of Mental HealthInstitute of PsychologyBeijingChina
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sun J. Exploring the Impact of Music Education on the Psychological and Academic Outcomes of Students: Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy and Self-Esteem. Front Psychol 2022; 13:841204. [PMID: 35211068 PMCID: PMC8863131 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.841204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a growing interest in scholars and practitioners to explore the factors that lead to an improvement in Students' psychological wellbeing. Due to the tough challenges faced by students during their academic life, severe issues of stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues emerge, which affect their academic performance and have a long-lasting impact on their future careers. The pandemic accelerates the stress levels, anxiety, and mental issues of students. The main purpose of this study was to explore how music education impacts on Students' psychological wellbeing and academic performance. This study also investigates the mediating effect of self-esteem and self-efficacy. To the best of our knowledge, there has been little to no study exploring the relationship of music education on the psychological wellbeing and performance of students, especially from the perspective of Asian countries. This study was conducted in undergraduate and graduate institutions of China. This study was quantitative in nature and data were collected from 319 respondents. The structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was employed for data analysis. Results reveal that music education has a significant positive impact on psychological wellbeing, which improves Students' academic performance. Moreover, psychological wellbeing also has a significant and positive impact on Students' academic performance. Self-efficacy and self-esteem significantly mediate the relationship between music education and psychological wellbeing. The findings of this study open new avenues for future research in music education and psychological wellbeing. This study suggests that the policymakers and practitioners should make such policies that encourage educational institutes to adopt music education to improve the psychological wellbeing of students.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jian Sun
- School of Music and Dance, Xihua University, Chengdu, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Bojner Horwitz E, Korošec K, Theorell T. Can Dance and Music Make the Transition to a Sustainable Society More Feasible? Behav Sci (Basel) 2022; 12:bs12010011. [PMID: 35049622 PMCID: PMC8772942 DOI: 10.3390/bs12010011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Transition to sustainability is a process that requires change on all levels of society from the physical to the psychological. This review takes an interdisciplinary view of the landscapes of research that contribute to the development of pro-social behaviors that align with sustainability goals, or what we call 'inner sustainability'. Engaging in musical and dance activities can make people feel trust and connectedness, promote prosocial behavior within a group, and also reduce prejudices between groups. Sustained engagement in these art forms brings change in a matter of seconds (such as hormonal changes and associated stress relief), months (such as improved emotional wellbeing and learning outcomes), and decades (such as structural changes to the brains of musicians and dancers and superior skills in expressing and understanding emotion). In this review, we bridge the often-separate domains of the arts and sciences by presenting evidence that suggests music and dance promote self-awareness, learning, care for others and wellbeing at individual and group levels. In doing so, we argue that artistic practices have a key role to play in leading the transformations necessary for a sustainable society. We require a movement of action that provides dance and music within a constructive framework for stimulating social sustainability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eva Bojner Horwitz
- Department of Music, Pedagogy and Society, Royal College of Music, P.O. Box 277 11, SE-115 91 Stockholm, Sweden; (K.K.); (T.T.)
- Center for Social Sustainability, Institution of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute, SE-141 83 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
- Correspondence:
| | - Kaja Korošec
- Department of Music, Pedagogy and Society, Royal College of Music, P.O. Box 277 11, SE-115 91 Stockholm, Sweden; (K.K.); (T.T.)
- Center for Social Sustainability, Institution of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute, SE-141 83 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Töres Theorell
- Department of Music, Pedagogy and Society, Royal College of Music, P.O. Box 277 11, SE-115 91 Stockholm, Sweden; (K.K.); (T.T.)
- Center for Social Sustainability, Institution of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute, SE-141 83 Stockholm, Sweden
- Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|