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Group dancing is a ubiquitous human activity that involves exertive synchronized movement to music. It is hypothesized to play a role in social bonding, potentially via the release of endorphins, which are analgesic and reward-inducing, and have been implicated in primate social bonding. We used a 2 × 2 experimental design to examine effects of exertion and synchrony on bonding. Both demonstrated significant independent positive effects on pain threshold (a proxy for endorphin activation) and in-group bonding. This suggests that dance which involves both exertive and synchronized movement may be an effective group bonding activity.

Original publication

DOI

10.1098/rsbl.2015.0767

Type

Journal article

Journal

Biol Lett

Publication Date

10/2015

Volume

11

Keywords

dance, endorphins, self–other merging, social bonding, synchrony, Adolescent, Brazil, Dancing, Female, Humans, Male, Music, Pain Threshold, Physical Exertion, Social Behavior