Abstract

Moving in synchrony leads to cooperation and feelings of closeness, and we have growing evidence that dance (involving synchronisation to others and music) fosters social bonding and elevates endorphins. Synchrony is also a key feature of ritual, apparent not only in the context of ritualized dance, but also in other ritualized contexts including military parade, religious worship and sports. In this talk, Dr. Bronwyn Tarr will review recent lab-based empirical evidence on the psychological and physiological effects of, and proposed mechanisms underpinning, synchronised group dancing. Her studies have employed a variety of experimental social psychology methods, as well as drug-placebo control trials and virtual reality technologies.

Bronwyn’s research combines her passion for dance and music with her curiosity about human nature and evolution of social behaviours. She is interested in why humans have such a longstanding love-affair with music, and the nuts and bolts behind the social benefits of taking part in musical activities.

Her institutional webpage

Reference

Bronwyn Tarr, “Mechanisms of Social Bonding: Dance and the "Synchrony Effect"”, IAST Lunch Seminar, Toulouse: IAST, September 25, 2018, 12:45–13:45, room MS001.