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Movement synchrony and interaction quality in individuals with ASD: a mixed methods secondary analysis of partnered activities in dance/movement therapy
Dissertation   Open access

Movement synchrony and interaction quality in individuals with ASD: a mixed methods secondary analysis of partnered activities in dance/movement therapy

Elizabeth Jeanne Manders
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Drexel University
Jan 2016
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/etd-7308
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Abstract

Dance therapy Counseling psychology Autism spectrum disorders Dance Mental Health
Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) struggle with social engagement, and even higher functioning individuals have difficulties with nonverbal aspects of interactions. Limited interactional synchrony, which is associated with rapport, may contribute to this difficulty. This secondary video analysis explored interactional synchrony and movement in five individuals with ASD in dance/movement therapy (DMT). The study examined participants' engagement in weekly structured mirroring and open-ended dance activities using an embedded mixed methods design with qualitative data collection within a modified multiple single subject design. Participants included three males and two females, 14-42 years-old, with high functioning ASD. The goals were to (a) explore the relationship between interaction quality and interpersonal synchrony, (b) observe change over 10 weeks of DMT, and (c) describe features of the movement related to interaction quality. Raters scored 132 video clips for Interaction Quality (Affective Engagement and Flow of the Interaction), Synchrony, and described the movement and interaction in each video clip. The participants engaged differently in the different activities and with their different partners. Only the participant who had the same partner for five sessions showed any change over time, i.e., increased Affective Engagement in the open-ended dance activity over the sessions with this repeated partner: Spearman's rho = .900, n = 5, p = .037. The participants typically focused on their role in the task to the exclusion of social connection with their partners. This included distinct patterns of engagement in, and attention to, the movement task itself versus engagement with their partners. This distinction was also seen in the correlations as Synchrony and Affective Engagement were correlated, but only in the less structured open-ended dance activity with Spearman's rho = .500, n = 31, p = .004 and in segments that were purposively selected for interactive behaviors with Spearman's rho = .416, n = 36, p = .012. The correlation disappeared completely in the more structured leading and following tasks: Spearman's rho = .012, n = 63, p = .924. Interventions for interactional synchrony may therefore need to include more open-ended contexts and not only highly structured practice activities. Movement features including coordination, integration of movement throughout the body, and the use of neutral flow require further research as these appeared to be potentially relevant to the interaction quality.

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