Psychological effects of pair dance featuring indirect physical contact: Study conducted in a specialized physical education class related to teaching during the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Published in: Kitakanto Journal of Physical Education, Health and Sport Sciences Vol. 9; pp. 71 - 79
• Main Authors: Nakatsuka, Kentaro, Matsuura, Yuki, Sakairi, Yosuke
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Kitakanto Society of Physical Education, Health and Sport Sciences 2024; 北関東体育学会
• Subjects: Aerobics; Coeducational Physical education; Dance class; General gymnastics; エアロビクス; ダンス授業; 体つくり運動; 男女共習体育
• ISSN: 2189-9622; 2759-5706
• DOI: 10.69196/kitakantotaiiku.9.0_71

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of pair dancing involving indirect physical contact through the use of tools from the perspective of psychological effects, and the research was conducted with university students. Specifically, we developed an aerobics-based dance routine performed by opposite-sex pairs and compared the effectiveness of this dance in two groups: 1） with indirect physical contact and 2） no physical contact. Our analysis revealed that, regardless of the physical contact condition, the pair dances performed based on the routine developed in this study brought about a positive change in students' awareness of interpersonal relationships, similar to outcomes in a regular dance class. In particular, participants confirmed that pair dancing with indirect physical contact was enjoyable from the first dance, and that they were able to engage in the dances with a greater sense of unity and intimacy with their partner. However, an evident problem was that movement was restricted in the indirect physical contact condition. Therefore, it may be valuable to take advantage of the characteristics of each condition and consider the order in which the dance is to be performed, such as transitioning from indirect physical contact to no physical contact. The current findings could inform future initiatives seeking to effectively facilitate dance with indirect physical contact in physical education dance classes.