Effect of Dancing on a Visuospatial Working Memory Task and Mood

Abstract

Abstract The cognitive advantages of dance have been researched for many years. However, the amplitude of mechanisms on the brain-dancing intersection still needs to be understood. One of them is the influence of dancing on visuospatial working memory. The direct link to causality between the two is still unclear. Exercise is an activity that is ubiquitously known to uplift mood. With dancing being both an aerobic exercise and a social activity, its prowess to be a better mood enhancer is juxtaposed with a more traditional exercise routine. In this pretest/posttest study, Zumba dancers (n=23) are compared to a control group of exercisers using gym equipment (n=23) to determine which group scored better in a visuospatial working memory (VSWM) test and how each group scored on a 6-point self-assessed mood scale. Results from the VSWM task showed a significant interaction effect between the study and control groups. The non-dancers decreased in mean scores posttest compared to pretest; whereas the dancers had no significant difference in mean scores at pretest and posttest measures. The mood scale outcome showed that the dancers reported significantly higher scores than the control group during the pretest and posttest. This study advocates the potential of social dancing as a health-promotive measure towards improving cognitive health as it relates to highly positive emotions. Further investigation into the direct visuospatial link to dance suggests a more controlled experimental design and more advanced instruments to assume a more comprehensive understanding of the construct are required.

Keywords: Zumba, dance, visuospatial working memory, working memory task, exercise, mood, between-subjects design

Abstract The cognitive advantages of dance have been researched for many years. However, the amplitude of mechanisms on the brain-dancing intersection still needs to be understood. One of them is the influence of dancing on visuospatial working memory. The direct link to causality between the two is still unclear. Exercise is an activity that is ubiquitously known to uplift mood. With dancing being both an aerobic exercise and a social activity, its prowess to be a better mood enhancer is juxtaposed with a more traditional exercise routine. In this pretest/posttest study, Zumba dancers (n=23) are compared to a control group of exercisers using gym equipment (n=23) to determine which group scored better in a visuospatial working memory (VSWM) test and how each group scored on a 6-point self-assessed mood scale. Results from the VSWM task showed a significant interaction effect between the study and control groups. The non-dancers decreased in mean scores posttest compared to pretest; whereas the dancers had no significant difference in mean scores at pretest and posttest measures. The mood scale outcome showed that the dancers reported significantly higher scores than the control group during the pretest and posttest. This study advocates the potential of social dancing as a health-promotive measure towards improving cognitive health as it relates to highly positive emotions. Further investigation into the direct visuospatial link to dance suggests a more controlled experimental design and more advanced instruments to assume a more comprehensive understanding of the construct are required.

Keywords: Zumba, dance, visuospatial working memory, working memory task, exercise, mood, between-subjects design