If some of your best friends and most memorable acquaintances are people that you’ve danced with, you can thank music for helping you build those relationships. Recent research confirms that dancing with others can help you remember personal attributes. This improved memory is important because it is one of the first steps involved in forming a social bond.
In a study printed in Frontiers in Psychology (February 2016), authors Matthew Woolhouse (McMaster University, Canada), Dan Tidhar and Ian Cross (both from the University of Cambridge) demonstrated that people involved in a group dance were more likely to remember details about each other if they danced to the same tempo. Their research was prompted by an “eye-tracking” study published by Woolhouse and Lai (2014) that showed that people who danced together in a synchronous pattern had longer instances of “gaze dwell” or looking into each other eyes than others.
An older study by Lim and Young (2006) proposed a stepwise method of forming a social bond that included motivation, identification, and eventually, preferential interaction. Other studies on dance and music have suggested that they help people to focus on one another. The Woolhouse et al study considered prior research and factors such as the universality of rhythmic activities amongst humans around the world (all cultures have some form of music and dance) prior to the implementation of their study.
Participants were recruited from the University of Cambridge. They were recruited from an amateur dance class held on campus or during a University Open Day for students and the general public. They were assigned to one of four trails or teams. The study utilized technology that prevented them from seeing other participants prior the start of the study. Each participant was photographed immediately prior to the start of the experiment. The participants did not know the purpose of the study.
As part of the experiment, a dance floor was divided into 10 hexagonal sections. Prior to entering the dance floor, participants were provided with instructions for navigating the dance floor. Each dancer was assigned to a team or trail; each trail was divided into two groups (A or B). Each participant was also assigned a yellow, red, blue or green sash that was either blank or had a figure of a cat imprinted on it. Lighting was changed prior to entering the dance floor to prevent dancers from seeing each other or scarf designs prior to the start of the music and dance sequence. In addition, participants received headphones and, based on their group assignment, listened to fast tempo music (Group A) or more laid back tunes (Group B). They could not hear each other’s music. No touching was allowed.
In a dance-only experiment with groups of people who didn’t really know each other, researchers found that after an eight minute dance, they were able to remember personal attributes about each other. Dancers were given pictures of their dance group and asked to report what they wore during the dance. When comparing whether dancers listened to the same music or different music, those listening to the same music during the dance were better able to identify each other’s sash color and symbol.
This study focused on interpersonal memory with dance and music being vehicles for initiating the process of developing social bonds. Through the process of coordinated motions and visual cues, dancing helps us to get to know others. So, if anyone questions the need for a weekend filled with up-tempo music and casual dancing, remind them that music is important for the heart, soul and the social connections that make us all human. If they don’t understand that, turn up the music and shout “everybody… dance, dance, dance”!
