Abstract
The role of posture sharing in the development of a positive relationship is generally acknowledged as a critical aspect of dance therapy. Often noted is the distinction between “mimicking” of body positions and “sharing” of movement quality (effort in Laban’s Effort system). This experiment investigates posture sharing in an interview dyad, defining the movement unit so that it includes not only shared position in space but also shared movement quality. Participants in the posture sharing condition report both significantly more positive assessments of themselves and of the interviewer, and significantly greater similarity beween themselves and the interviewer. This impact of posture sharing is explained in a social psychology model of behavior in which interaction is viewed in terms of individuals negotiating roles with one another.
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Navarre, D. Posture sharing in dyadic interaction. Am J Dance Ther 5, 28–42 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02579539
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02579539