If Your Dance Moves Could Talk, They Would Probably Call You Neurotic

In the latest in scientific experiments focused on getting at the you of you, scientists are analyzing dance moves to uncover people’s personalities, reports the Telegraph. Apparently the way in which you shake your groove thing to music reveals key truths about your character.

After giving 900 people personality tests, the researchers took 60 volunteers who fit into one of the five main personality types: Extroverts, neurotics, agreeable personalities, open-minded people, and conscientious/dutiful types. Each of the volunteers then was asked to dance “spontaneously” to 30 tracks from various genres of music, including rock, techno, Latin, jazz, funk, and pop.

Each of them, predictably, turned out to showcase their own special dance style.

• Extroverts moved their bodies around most, using “energetic and exaggerated movements of their head and arms.”
• Neurotics danced in sharp, jerky, shall we say…neurotic?…movements. (Interestingly, “Rock music appeared to be the only genre that brought neurotics out of their shells; otherwise they tended to make small, nervous movements.”)
• Agreeable people did the “high school dance” dance, moving side to side while swinging their hands.
• Open-minded people stayed put more than the others but made rhythmic up-and-down movements.
• The conscientious/dutiful people moved around a lot, and “moved their hands over larger distances.”

This whole thing reminds us of the study that came out a while back that analyzed men’s dance moves with regard to finding a mate, in which the bigger, more aggressive movements were more appealing to the ladies. Which is all intriguing! Fascinating! And…wouldn’t it be simpler and also better for the knees just to have a conversation?

No, too easy.