Psychological Correlates of Dance and Sports Participation: A Comparative Study of Aggression, Identity, and Coping Mechanisms

Abstract

The most important factor that influences emotional development together with cognitive growth and behavioural changes in an individual depends on their involvement in structured physical activities. The research aimed to highlight the psychological differences between young adults engaged in dance, sports, and not involved in either, particularly in the areas of aggression orientation, identity formation, and coping methods. The study included 81 (dancers=26, athletes=26 and neither dancer nor sportsperson=29) participants from 18 to 40 years (mean=21.23; sd=3.08). The study used standardized instruments which included the Buss and Perry Aggression Questionnaire (Buss & Perry, 1992), Identity Orientation Scale (Cheek et al., 1994) and the Brief COPE (Carver, 1997) to assess multiple aggression types and identity development patterns and different coping methods. The Shapiro-Wilk test results showed that the data distribution had partial normality which led researchers to use non-parametric statistical methods. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed that different groups exhibited distinct patterns of measurement for the studied variables while the Mann-Whitney U test showed different patterns of measurement between the two groups. The study examined how the three participant groups displayed different approaches to handling stress, aggression and their identity development. The results showed that dancers possessed stronger personal and cultural identities, athletes demonstrated better problem-oriented coping and higher physical aggression. Individuals participating in neither used emotion-based coping methods more frequently while they displayed higher levels of verbal aggression. The study found that dancers and sportspersons showed different scores in personal identity (p=0.04). The research results demonstrate that participation in creative and athletic activities leads to better psychological development through improved identity formation and coping abilities while reducing aggressive behaviour. The findings support the increasing need to promote arts and sports as ways for young adults to achieve emotional well-being.