The Relationship Between Dancing Mood and Personality - Research Proposal Example

Relationship between Dancing Mood and Personality School Affiliation: Dancing is not a 21st century invention as there is evidence suggesting its existence earlier than is often thought. It is a habit that people adopt, but for different reasons including for entertainment purposes. In addition, others use it to relief stress while to others is a profession that plays a critical role in ensuring their livelihoods. However, dancing has also been associated with the change of people’s moods where these changes tend to occur, as Eydelman (2012) reveals. To some, dancing has a negative mood change on people; others do not see a correlation between the two while others contest it has a positive impact on people’s moods. Because of this disparity in agreement on the impact that dancing has on people’s moods, it is imperative to investigate it in order to offer the correct information. In this paper, the focus is on the said issue, analysis of the literature and assessment of the theoretical background. Background Dancing is often described as a necessary intervention in various areas including in assisting people living with various illnesses. In addition, the elderly people have benefited from undertaking similar sessions. However, the issue has elicited mixed reactions with some contesting the assertion that dancing has universal effects on the stated issues (Furnham & Crump, 2014). While one section asserts, and even proves dancing has positive impact on moods, another argues otherwise. The latter section contends that while dancing could affect people’s moods, personality traits play a critical role. That is to say, the impact dancing has is mainly dependent on personalities of various groups. Thus, the topic this paper seeks to investigate is the impact dancing has on people’s moods and personality. As the paper will outline, there are countless benefits associated with dancing including academic performance, improved relations and health benefits. However, there are major obstacles that limit the accuracy of the study: personality traits. While a majority of people does agree that dance has positive outcomes on people’s moods, the role of personality traits has not been addressed adequately. In other words, there is a lack of clarity on how personality traits determine the influence dance has on different individuals. Clearly, thus background information shows that this issue of dance’s influence on personality has not been resolved. Justifications of research This topic could transform the lives of a majority of people epically the ones living with certain disorders. Besides, with research showing that dancing alters the moods of the elderly and sick persons, it is imperative to conduct the study to ascertain the claims. The ordinary people often see dancing as a hobby with little effect, but if the data often reported is factual, then it is appropriate that this study takes place (Wheeler, 2015). In addition, there is always some disagreement on whether dance indeed has any influence. Since the issue remains unresolved, this study will play a critical role of bringing into light the facts on the said topic. In essence, by carrying out this study, there is a strong possibility of affecting the society positively particularly if the claims that dancing has positive impact on people are factual. Similarly, if the effects are negative, evidence will be reported in the study. In addition, the study is important, as it will offer the necessary recommendations on the areas to improve if the outcomes are found to be either negative or no effects at all. Because the research is not being conducted to give credence to the already completed studies, it will offer unbiased result. Consequently, this will offer credible information capable of transforming the relevant group of people in the society. That is to say, once the results are obtained, other research departments and organizations can adopt the findings to ensure better services are offered to those who need them. For instance, in case it is found that dance does impact people’s moods positively, programs to ensure the elderly, the sick and others in the society embrace dancing could be enrolled. Competing Theoretical frameworks Several theories are used in the investigation of this topic of dancing including the Big Five personality traits (FFM). This theory analyses the five major factors of Openness, Neuroticism, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Agreeableness. As a result of using this model, accounting of different traits has been achieved without an error of overlapping, and consistency has been evident (Furnham & Crump, 2014). In the Openness trait, the individuals in this category tend to show high levels of curiosity and invention. In addition, the trait is characterized by an appreciation of emotions, art, unusual ideas as well as art. On the other hand, Conscientiousness has traits of efficiency and organisation, but faces the challenges of avoiding being careless and easy going-like tendencies. This group shows self-discipline, dependence, aims at achieving and resorts to planning as opposed to a spontaneous behaviour (Samuel & Gore, 2012). Concerning the Extraversion, they are viewed as energetic, show strong assertiveness, positive emotions, sociability and surgency. Besides, they are talkative while in the midst of others. Thus, the traits are that they show strong outgoing and energetic skills and have to contend with being reserved and in a solitary place. People with Agreeable traits tend to be both friendly and compassionate with key challenges being analytical and remaining detached. Instead of exhibiting suspicious or antagonistic traits, this category of people is cooperative and show trust in their friends. As for Neurotic category, sensitivity coupled with nervousness is rife within this this group. Overcoming the issues of security and confidence are synonymous with the group and tend to show unpleasant emotions easily. For instance, the group exhibits anger, depression, anxiety and vulnerability faster than any group (Verduyn & Brans, 2012; Lee et al, 2006). . Another theory applied in assessing personality traits is the Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) where it assesses the Big Five factors (Gosling et al, 2003; Muck, Hell & Gosling, 2007). Lately, there has been a contention on how accurate the TIPI addresses the FFP, and this has led to inconclusive results. Also, it is not clear how personality traits respond to different types of music and subsequent dancing styles. For instance, an extraversion personality is seen as highly enthusiastic and likely to respond to music better than perhaps the neurotic. Yet, this is not always the case because sometimes individuals might be facing situations not likely to be influenced by music alone. Literature review People’s moods have been noted to be greatly influenced dancing with some reports confirming that even some medical conditions are somewhat relieved from the same. For instance, it was reported that people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) witnessed physical benefits upon engaging in dancing sessions. In the study, it was observed that mood disturbances and anger levels reduced significantly for the people who undertook the session. Besides this category of people, similar observations were made on the elderly group of people (Lewis, Annett, Davenport, Hall & Lovatt, 2014). In another study, 952 people were asked to complete the Big Five inventory; another 60 had a 30-minute music excerpts from some of the most popular genres. It was noted that the group exhibited music induced movements. The groups in the Neuroticism and Extraversion exhibited strong relationships in the different music genres (Luck, Saarikallio, Burger, Thompson & Toiviainen, 2010). From these findings, it is clear that while there is a discrepancy concerning the reaction of people in as far as music is concerned, almost every group reacts to it. As for dancing, the reaction is mainly influenced by the personality trait. For instance, Jonason, Teicher and Schmitt (2011) asserted that the people in the Neurotic category hardly highlight their dancing prowess publicly unless they are with people whom they trust. Conversely, those in the Extraversion and Agreeable, dancing can be done irrespective of who is present. This variance is catalysed by the individual traits, but it is clear there is reaction to music on all traits. Different individuals as a way of relieving stress sometimes undertake dancing and the end result is that such individuals feel somewhat better. According to Shrivastava (2009), individuals will sometimes engage in a dancing session in a bid to shake off some moods, which might be affecting them. However, many times, the kind of dance or music such individuals choose is guided by their moods. For instance, when an individual is angry, there is a tendency to listen to a high-pitched song, which makes them dance more. As a result, their moods are interfered with and leave them in better moods than was the case initially. Conversely, people whose moods are anxious tend to listen to slower music, which encourages peace-like attitude. While dancing might not be as vigorous as the one with anger, there are still some movements visible. It is the same case with other moods with the choice of music and subsequent dance determined mainly by the kind of moods coupled with the personality of the individuals (Wheeler, 2015). Another key driver of moods change and the choice of music has been identified as the background experiences. In a study conducted on five individuals, it was noted that each had own preference for music but this choice was greatly impacted by their upbringing. In one case, Shrivastava (2009) reported that one individual who had been abuse at childhood preferred high-pitched music. In another case, the ones who exhibited enthusiasm in the music and had a good upbringing danced more than chose music. In other words, there seemed a natural enthusiasm, which was not primarily influenced by the music, but a sense of satisfaction. Still in another study, it was noted that some people had little interest in music yet they were not abused at childhood. While this group listened to music and showed some body movements, there was no significant influence of music or dance on their moods (Huang, Gursoy & Xu, 2014). Langdon and Coltheart (2014) explain that this is likely in cases, though minimal, where individuals’ personalities lack enthusiasm. That is to say, not everybody will be influenced by either music or a dance, although the number is minimal. To some, music and dancing do not easily change their moods, meaning there is a possibility of not seeing any change when the study is being conducted. However, the lack of enthusiasm in music or dance could be a result of a more underlying issue, which the subject might not reveal at the time of the research. According to Van Zyl, Surujlal and Singh (2009), some individuals might be undergoing other challenges, which might hinder them from engaging in either dance or music, as it would be interpreted to mean they are satisfied. In such a situation, one might be mistaken to conclude the individual is non-responsive to music whereas that is not the case. In these scenarios, the best step would be to analyze such individuals for a longer time especially ones the issue is resolved. Most likely, the person will engage in a celebration which will inevitably push them to either sing or dance; or both. An important point to note is that the effect of music is majorly dependent on an individual’s personality. For instance, the people in the Openness personality category tend to embrace music as an important part of their lives. Besides, this category of people tends to play an instrument and engage in vigorous dancing when the song demands such movements (Foxman, 2006). As a result, this group is less likely to be stressed and there is a tendency for high levels of enthusiasm. In contrast, people who fall in the Neurotic category do listen to music and dance, but not as easily as the others do. Moreover, this group’s choice of music and dance is determined mainly by the moods and their perception. As noted, this is a group that tends to show suspicion in almost everything, and this makes them hesitate before engaging in activities. Nonetheless, the group does engage in dancing, and their moods do change, but not mainly because of the music or dance, they choose. Further studies reveal that the impact of music and dance on individuals is also affected by the individual’s commitment to the same. In other words, music does not magically influence individuals without their participation through enthusiasm. For instance, it was noted that people who connected with the music through singing along danced more, and had a greater outcome than those who did not. Again, the issue of personality was noted to influence if an individual danced or sang along the lines, thus impacting the overall outcome. A case in point, individuals with an open personality engaged more in the music and dancing than those in the neurotic category. As a result, the latter’s moods took a longer period to change than the former’s (Carducci, 2006). Singing together as opposed to doing it alone was found to have greater effects especially on the outgoing personalities. A study comprising of 1000 students from one of Spanish colleges showed that singing and dancing together helped in the improvement of the students’ performance. Surprisingly, the results were observed in other areas that were not music-related, and even though the outgoing personalities had better results, even the introverts had some significant improvements. The extraversion showed great enthusiasm and this resulted in significant improvements in other subjects too. There was not much enthusiasm on the introverts, but still some positive outcomes were observed (Zhang, 2006). In cases where music is taken with great importance, there is more than the change of moods. Eydelman (2012) reported that people who enthusiastically engaged in music and dancing witnessed significant improvement of some diseases including coronary heart disease. Over 1500 patients were observed as they listened to music, and their conditions were assessed. It was reported that those who constantly engaged in listening to music had reduced blood pressure, heart rate and a reduction of anxiety in heart disease patients. Even though individuals’ personality do influence the impact dance has on people, other factors were found to play a role in the same. For instance, a correlation has been found to exist between the characteristic of the music and the exhibited movement. In short, the kind of music one listens to mainly determines their dancing style, hence the levels of moods altering (Gebhardt, Kunkel & von Georgi, 2014). It is possible for individuals to have a passion for a dance, but if the music played does not connect with the individual’s expectations or character, the influence might be insignificant. In such cases, it is almost impossible for the impact of the dance to be witnessed thus hindering all the benefits aforementioned. Therefore, for music to have effect on an individual, irrespective of their personality, it has to have a characteristic corresponding to the dancer. Another factor-influencing dance of a person is the emotional content one perceives in the music and in the movements. According to Rentfrow (2012), a person who listens to a piece of music is influenced by other factors besides the personality. If a person perceives a song to have a strong emotional connection, there is a tendency to increase body movements. Even the most introverted individuals will increase their body movements so long as their perception toward the music is in line with their emotion. For instance, an anxious person will embrace any music, which has words or beats that are perceived to connect with either their situation or emotions. In this case, people will react to music through dancing providing the music befit their expectations. Thirdly, a correlation exists between a dancer’s personality traits and their movements where one dances to a song influenced mainly by their personalities. Here, the people will engage in a particular dance, not influenced by the beats or the pitch of a song, but by their personalities. Where individuals do not like vigorous body movements, they will exhibit this characteristic while dancing. Similarly, if the individuals dancing belong to the extraversion category, they will tend to exhibit strong indications of enthusiasm and vigorous body movements (Burger et al, 2013). In light of this, it means that the eventual result will rely mainly on how well an individual is aware of their traits. Research aims and objectives From the literature review provided and the highlight of the different theories, some of which seems competing, it is clear that the topic is not clear. While there is ample empirical evidence suggesting a relation between music and change of people’s moods, clarity lacks in showing how personality traits specifically react to dancing. Even though observations were made that different groups had different body movements when listening to music, there was no description of the relations between the dancing and personality traits and moods. In light of the above, this research aims at measuring the impact that dancing have on peoples’ mood. Because some have contested the influence of dance on personalities and moods, the research will assess if positive or negative changes are evident where dance is embraced. Also, with some claiming dance has no relations on either negative or positive change, the paper will investigate this claim. Research questions A closer analysis on the literature review shows that dancing has a couple of benefits, which could prove vital to every human. Unlike in the past when dance was viewed simply as a hobby, it has been revealed to have health and other benefits. However, the paper has also highlighted some of the limitations including the precise way in which dance affect moods and personality traits. While it is clear that dance, aided by music, does influence moods, there is a discrepancy on whether the major determinant is the music or the personality. As noted, individuals respond to music depending on a number of issues including own perception, characteristics of the music and their perception. Consequently, it is not clear the precise outcomes dance is likely to have on individuals hence the need to conduct the study. For that reason, this paper will seek answer the question: Does dance have any impact on people’s moods and their personality traits. Methods and expected outcomes This study will employ the qualitative method specifically the use of online questionnaires that will be drafted in both English and Greek languages. There will be five questions pertaining to gender, age, nationality; type of personality as well as impact dancing has on moods. It is expected that with this method, it will be easier to collect more data than any other. Besides, it will offer the much-needed privacy to the respondents. The outcome will be that the analysis will be easier to conduct since the information does not require many resources. References Burger, B., Saarikallio, S., Luck, G., Thompson, M., & Toiviainen, P. (2013). Relationships Between Perceived Emotions in Music and Music-induced Movement. Music Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 30(5), 517-533. Carducci, B. J. (2006). The psychology of personality. Oxford: Blackwell. Eydelman, L. (2012). Problem of interrelation of dancing art and health-improvement. 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