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Cited by 131Action Observation and SynchronizationHealth, Education, and Physical CultureDiversity and Impact of Dance

Emotion regulation through movement: unique sets of movement characteristics are associated with and enhance basic emotions

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Shafir, Tal, Tsachor, Rachelle P., Welch, Kathleen B.·2016·Frontiers in Psychology
DOI 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.02030PMC PMC4707271
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Abstract

We have recently demonstrated that motor execution, observation, and imagery of movements expressing certain emotions can enhance corresponding affective states and therefore could be used for emotion regulation. But which specific movement(s) should one use in order to enhance each emotion? This study aimed to identify, using Laban Movement Analysis (LMA), the Laban motor elements (motor characteristics) that characterize movements whose execution enhances each of the basic emotions: anger, fear, happiness, and sadness. LMA provides a system of symbols describing its motor elements, which gives a written instruction (motif) for the execution of a movement or movement-sequence over time. Six senior LMA experts analyzed a validated set of video clips showing whole body dynamic expressions of anger, fear, happiness and sadness, and identified the motor elements that were common to (appeared in) all clips expressing the same emotion. For each emotion, we created motifs of different combinations of the motor elements common to all clips of the same emotion. Eighty subjects from around the world read and moved those motifs, to identify the emotion evoked when moving each motif and to rate the intensity of the evoked emotion. All subjects together moved and rated 1241 motifs, which were produced from 29 different motor elements. Using logistic regression, we found a set of motor elements associated with each emotion which, when moved, predicted the feeling of that emotion. Each emotion was predicted by a unique set of motor elements and each motor element predicted only one emotion. Knowledge of which specific motor elements enhance specific emotions can enable emotional self-regulation through adding some desired motor qualities to one's personal everyday movements (rather than mimicking others' specific movements) and through decreasing motor behaviors which include elements that enhance negative emotions.

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  • Transient emotional states and chronic mood disorders are associated with changes in posture and movement.

    “Transient emotional states and chronic mood disorders are associated with changes in posture and movement.”

    From Listen to your inner body: embodied emotions in predictive neuroscience and traditional East Asian medicine (2026) · cites this paper as Shafir et al., 2015

    The Introduction and Discussion associate emotions such as sadness and happiness with particular movements and postures. The passages do not establish the claimed association for chronic mood disorders; the Discussion mentions decreased depression after dancing, but not posture or movement changes associated with a chronic disorder. No page numbers are available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Happiness is elicited by rising, upward, and rhythmic movement patterns, whereas sadness is elicited by downward, sinking patterns.

    “For instance, happiness is elicited by rising, upward, and rhythmic movement patterns, whereas sadness is elicited by downward, sinking patterns (Shafir et al., 2015).”

    From Listen to your inner body: embodied emotions in predictive neuroscience and traditional East Asian medicine (2026) · cites this paper as Shafir et al., 2015

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Authors
Shafir, T., Tsachor, R. P., & Welch, K. B.
Affiliations
  • University of Michigan (US)
  • University of Illinois Chicago (US)
Corresponding author
Shafir, Tal
ORCID
Venue
Frontiers in Psychology
Publisher
Frontiers Media SA
Published
2016-01-11
Volume
6
Pages
2030-2030
ISSN
1664-1078 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3389/fpsyg.2015.02030
PMC
PMC4707271
OpenAlex
W2237657896
Cited by
131
References
63
Citations by year
2026: 14 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 1
FWCI
15.72
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Frontiers in Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • University of Illinois at Chicago
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Health, Education, and Physical Culture
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Diversity and Impact of Dance
Keywords
emotion regulation, movement, Laban movement analysis, basic emotions, anger, fear, happiness, sadness, affective states, motor imagery, motor execution

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