Examining the Impact of Dance/Movement Therapy on Interpersonal Synchrony, Empathy, Peer Relationships, and Cultural Self-Efficacy in Middle School Students
Authors:   , Prakash Nalini , Shim Minjung 
Published: August 2023

Violence prevention programs that address bullying across the United States mostly rely on didactic approaches. Moreover, few programs take into consideration the increase in racial/ethnic diversity in classrooms and the escalation in ethnic bullying. Studies have found that empathy and cultural self-efficacy within cross-cultural friendships can decrease ethnic bullying. Additionally, moving in synchrony with others has been identified with heightened social engagement and cooperation between individuals. Embodied and creative/expressive arts-based approaches such as dance/movement therapy (DMT) incorporate non-verbal techniques to develop interpersonal synchrony (IS) and group cohesion, and to enhance kinesthetic empathy among individuals. However, additional empirical data is required in this area. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the impact of DMT on interpersonal synchrony, empathy, peer relationships, and cultural self-efficacy among racially and ethnically diverse groups of middle school students. A secondary aim was to explore the useability of the accelerometer to measure interpersonal synchrony and compare the biometric data with observational data using Laban Movement Analysis (LMA), a behavioral assessment system commonly used in DMT. The study used a mixed methods research design including a 10-week DMT program with 21 middle school students from three schools. Quantitative assessment of interpersonal synchrony was conducted at pre-mid-and post intervention using the accelerometer and LMA. Quantitative data for empathy, peer relationships, and cultural self-efficacy were gathered using validated measures such as the Basic Empathy Scale (BES), PROMIS Pediatric Peer Relationship Scale - Short Form (PPR-SF), and the Cultural Self-Efficacy Scale for Adolescents (CSES-A) at the same three time points. Qualitative data were collected from weekly session feedback and exit interviews and compared with the quantitative findings using a joint display. Quantitative data did not demonstrate significant changes in empathy, peer relationships, and cultural self-efficacy. However, qualitative findings suggest the potential of DMT to enhance empathy, peer relationships and cultural self-efficacy in middle school children. Biometric results of rhythmic synchrony demonstrated a marginal increase in the average interparticipant correlation of total acceleration over time with the largest group-specific change observed in Group 2. Additionally, the minimum and maximum subject-specific total acceleration cross-correlation range narrowed between the three time points with minimum values increasing, and marginal to no change in maximum values. Observational data of rhythmic synchrony demonstrated no statistical significance in total scores across groups. In comparing the two data sets, overall biometric scores of rhythmic synchrony increased marginally between the three time points and overall observational scores notably increased between T1 and T2 and decreased between T2 and T3. Group 2 demonstrated similar upward trends in both data sets. This is the first study to investigate the useability of the accelerometer to measure interpersonal synchrony in DMT. Although the findings are encouraging, further investigation is needed to provide definitive information on the usefulness of the accelerometer in this context. Additional research is also needed to draw definitive conclusions on the impact of DMT on empathy, peer relationships, and cultural self-efficacy. Keywords: dance/movement therapy, interpersonal synchrony, accelerometer, empathy, ethnic bullying, Laban Movement Analysis