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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Community-based Adapted Tango Dancing for Individuals with Parkinson's Disease and Older Adults
Published on: December 9, 2014
A cross-lagged panel study with parallel mediation: examining the dynamic pathways from dance experience to
Fei Guo1, Guoguang Du2, Mingzuo Li3
1College of Literature, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Background:
While dance is linked to enhanced psychological wellbeing (PWB), the specific longitudinal mechanisms underlying this relationship remain inadequately understood. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory and Embodied Cognition, this study tested a dual-pathway model proposing that dance experience is prospectively associated with PWB by concurrently improving emotion regulation and body appreciation.
Methods:
A three-wave longitudinal panel design was employed with 401 adults. Dance Experience (DEQ) at Time 1 (T1) was hypothesized to predict Emotion Regulation (ERQ) and Body Appreciation (BAS) at Time 2 (T2), which in turn were hypothesized to predict PWB at Time 3 (T3). A parallel mediation model was tested using structural equation modeling, controlling for autoregressive effects and covariates (age, gender, BMI). Bias-corrected bootstrapping (10,000 resamples) was used to test indirect effects.
Results:
The model demonstrated excellent fit. As hypothesized, T1 DEQ positively predicted both T2 ERQ (β = 0.176, p < 0.001) and T2 BAS (β = 0.235, p < 0.001). Both T2 ERQ and T2 BAS subsequently predicted T3 PWB (β = 0.192 and β = 0.254, respectively, both p < 0.001). The specific indirect effects via ERQ and BAS were both significant, confirming parallel mediation. The direct effect from DEQ to PWB remained significant.
Conclusion:
Dance experience contributes to psychological wellbeing over time through two distinct yet complementary pathways: by enhancing cognitive emotion regulation capacity and by fostering a more appreciative relationship with one's body. These findings elucidate the psychological mechanisms of dance and provide a theoretical foundation for designing mechanism-targeted dance interventions to promote mental health.
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