EMBODIED COGNITION AND SOMAESTHETIC APPROACHES IN DANCE EDUCATION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF BEHAVIORAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES

Xiuyan Chai; Trianti Nugraheni; Juju Masunah; Ayo Sunaryo

doi:10.29121/shodhkosh.v7.i1.2026.7224

Authors

Xiuyan Chai Ph.D. candidate in Dance Education, School of Postgraduate Studies, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
Trianti Nugraheni Professor in Dance Education, School of Postgraduate Studies, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
Juju Masunah Professor, Faculty of Art and Design Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia
Ayo Sunaryo Professor in Dance Education, School of Postgraduate Studies, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v7.i1.2026.7224

Keywords:

Somatic Self-Awareness, Dance Pedagogy, Embodied Learning, Behavioral Intervention, Self-Determination

Abstract [English]

This systematic review synthesizes empirical evidence on the behavioral and psychological outcomes associated with embodied cognition and somesthetic approaches in dance education. Drawing on an integrative framework combining social cognitive theory and self-determination theory with embodied cognition and somesthetic perspectives, the review examines how dance education practices that foreground bodily awareness, somatic reflection, and culturally situated embodied learning influence self-awareness, self-regulation, cultural identity, metacognition, and psychological wellbeing. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a systematic search across five electronic databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, ERIC, and PsycINFO) covering the period from 2005 to 2025 identified 847 records. After screening, 18 empirical studies meeting all inclusion criteria were included in the thematic synthesis. The findings reveal four major behavioral and psychological outcome themes: enhanced somatic self-awareness and interoceptive sensitivity, improved self-regulation and metacognitive capacity, strengthened cultural identity formation and prosocial behavior, and positive psychological wellbeing and motivational outcomes. Evidence from studies conducted across ten countries with diverse populations consistently demonstrated that theoretically grounded embodied dance education approaches produce measurable behavioral changes operating through integrated cognitive, affective, and sensorimotor processes. For behavioral science, these findings demonstrate that embodied pedagogical practices constitute a distinctive class of behavioral interventions whose mechanisms extend beyond purely cognitive processes. The review offers evidence-based recommendations for integrating embodied cognition and somaesthetic principles into dance education curricula and highlights priorities for future longitudinal and cross-cultural research.

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