A review and critical analysis of how cognitive neuroscientific investigations using dance can contribute to sport psychology

Abstract

Whether watching Michael Jackson moonwalk or Savion Glover tap dance, it is striking how skilfully some people can move their bodies. The emerging field of cognitive neuroscience has produced important advances in understanding the control and perception of complex action. Here we outline the merits and limitations of neuroscience methods for studying psychological states and how they might inform sport psychology research. To do so, we review studies that have used dance paradigms, as well as summarize a debate regarding the utility of brain-based measurements for studying human cognition. Our central argument is twofold. First, the origins of studying dance with cognitive neuroscientific methods do not stem from a desire to inform dancers or instructors how to influence performance. Rather, dance is a useful tool to investigate the neurocognitive mechanisms that mediate the perception of complex action and development of expertise. In other words, neuroscientists were initially interested in ways that dance could be used to study elementary links between action and perception. Second, biological-level descriptions should not hold a privileged status over any other measure of a psychological state, and we urge consideration of the limits of brain-based methods when using cognitive neuroscientific approaches to understand the psychology of sport. IntroductionWhen the legendary tap dancer Savion Glover takes the stage, the rate at which his feet accelerate to produce a dizzying cascade of polyrhythms too quick for the eye to follow serves as a stark reminder of the human capacity to produce exquisitely precise, coordinated and complex movements. Whether performing a double triple time step in tap dance, a slam dunk in basketball or an iron cross in gymnastics, one cannot fail to recognize movement expertise. While it is easy to recognize expert performance, it is less clear what cognitive and brain systems underpin such expertise. Using neuroimaging research on dance as a test case, the current article aims to evaluate how cognitive neuroscientific methods can advance understanding of action and perception links at brain and behavioural levels.

Effects of Dancing on Cognition in Healthy Older Adults: a Systematic Review

“…Several imaging studies examined Bthe neural basis of human dance ( Brown et al 2006). Some studies have investigated the visual and motor imagery involved in dancing (Cross et al 2013); however, imaging techniques have rarely been used in examining the effects of a dance intervention program (Burzynska et al 2017;Rehfeld et al 2017); therefore, knowledge on the anatomical and functional brain changes associated with the effects of a dance program in the older adults is limited.…”

The Choreography of Group Affiliation

“…We developed a movement workshop for small groups, led by one of the authors (MS), a professional choreographer. Dance and choreography are useful tools to study social interactions since they provide a naturalistic, yet highly controlled setting (Christensen & Jola, ; Cross, Acquah, & Ramsey, ; Orgs, Caspersen, & Haggard, ; Sevdalis & Keller, ). In fact, dance and music may have specifically evolved to promote social bonding in societies (Dunbar, ; Dunbar, Kaskatis, MacDonald, & Barra, ; Savage, Brown, Sakai, & Currie, ).…”

The Dancing Queen

“…For example, while the amount of research on the physical, psychological and neuronal processes linked to dance increased tremendously over the last decade, the predominantly reductionist scientific approach has often failed to capture the complexity of dance Jola in press) and interpretations need to be handled carefully. We argue that with a better understanding of the underlying physical, neuronal and psychological mechanisms of dance, more substantial critique of existing practices and better targeted propositions for novel approaches in support of health and wellbeing in dance are possibleeven if some of these scientists may not have initially set out to target those aspects (e.g., Cross et al 2014) In general, physical activity has been associated with a variety of health benefits including a sense of feeling good (Haskell et al 2007;Penedo & Dahn 2005;Warburton et al 2006). This "feel-good-effect" associated with physical activity is linked to physiological as well as psychological effects (Ekkekakis, 2003;Hyde et al 2011).…”