To the Pointe: How Dancer

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To the Pointe How Dancers Optimism Levels
Predict Responses to Stress

• Presented at
• UCI Undergraduate Research Symposium
• by
• Elisa Roe

May 14, 2005
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Acknowledgements

• Professor Linda Levine
• Professor Valerie Jenness
• Heather Lench
• UCI Dance Department

• This project was funded by
• The UCI Undergraduate Research
• Opportunities Program

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Question

• I conducted a study to find out
• If being optimistic when dealing with a stressful
  situation will lead to better physical health and
  lower anxiety.
• Do certain types of goals determine these
  positive outcomes as well?

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Why Dancers?

• Dance has been shown to prevent, reduce, and
  induce stress.
• Prevent positive self perception, physical well
  being
• Reduce expression of emotion, diversion
• Induce injury, body-image, competition
• What determines how a dancer responds?

(Hanna, 1989)
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Stress

• Stressor an event that would require functioning
  beyond a persons usual level of skill

• Stress Appraisal Evaluation of the stressor
• - Does this exceed what I can handle?

• Stress Response Reaction
• - physical, emotional, behavioral.

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Responses to Stress

• Physical
• Poor general health, more pain,
• fatigue
• Emotional
• Decreased Happiness, Anxiety

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Optimism

• Optimists people who expect
• to have positive outcomes,
• even when things are difficult,
• or despite pressure.
• Optimists focus on positive aspects of stressful
  situation
• Low in optimism focus on stressful aspects
  involved with the situation.

• (Scheier, Carver Bridges, 1994).

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Goal Setting
Approach vs. Avoidance Goals
(Carver, 2004 Lench, 2005)
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Hypothesis 1

• Dancers with high levels of optimism will have
• better health wellbeing at the end of the
  quarter
• lower anxiety in response to stress
• In comparison to dancers low in optimism.

• This relationship between optimism and outcomes
  will be mediated by their emotions.

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Hypothesis 2

• Dancers who set approach goals will have
• better health wellbeing at the end of the
  quarter
• lower anxiety in response to stress
• In comparison to dancers who set avoidance
  goals.

• This relationship between goal setting and
  outcomes will be mediated by their emotions.

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Methodology

• 117 UCI dance students
• Majors 89 dance
• 23 drama
• 3 other
• Mean 11 years of dance
• Level 3
• Completed online surveys
• Week 3
• Week 8

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Time 1

• Measures

Emotion Happy, Sad, Anxious, Relief, Angry
Optimism Life Orientation Test (LOT-R) (Scheier, Carver, Bridges, 1994)
Coping COPE Survey (Carver et al., 1989)
Goal Settings Dance Goals Survey
Anxiety Stress Inventory (STAI) (Spielberger, 1986 )
Health RAND Health Survey, SF-36 (Rand, 2001)
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Time 2

• Measures

Emotion Happy, Sad, Anxious, Relief, Angry
Goal Settings Dance Goals Survey
Anxiety Stress Inventory (STAI) (Spielberger, 1986 )
Health RAND Health Survey, SF-36 (Rand, 2001)
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Results Is Dance Stressful?

• YES, heres why.
• Fun Facts
• More tired as the quarter went on ( t (98 )
  .978 , p lt .000 )
• Attendance decreased, ( t (100) -3.77 , p
  lt .000 )
• Higher level dancers had more physical symptoms
  of stress. ( t (81) 2.84 , p lt .006 )

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Does Optimism Relate to Positive Outcomes?



Results significant at plt.05
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Does Goal Setting Relate to Positive Outcomes?


Results significant at plt.05
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Emotional Responses
Happiness
Anxiety
Optimism
Goals

• Results significant at plt.05

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Results
(.28)
(.14)
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Results 2
(-.09)
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Discussion

• Higher Optimism ? Better Health
• Avoidance Goals ? Worse Health
• These relationships are partially
• accounted for by emotions.

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Implications

• Furthers the current understanding of optimism
  and stress
• Might aid dancers in learning to deal with the
  pressures and stressors that are associated with
  the pursuit of a dance career.
• Adds to under researched topic
• of dance
• Other Students, High Pressure Jobs,
• Athletes in general

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Future Directions

• Explore exactly how Happiness and Anxiety are
  related to health.
• Study other highly stressful occupations or
  athletes

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Thank You!
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For Further Information

• Elisa Roe
• Department of Psychology and Social Behavior
• Department of Dance
• University of California, Irvine
• eroe_at_uci.edu