Dr. A.B. Uspuriene^{1 2}
Associate Professor, Dr. S. Sniras¹
Lithuanian Sports University¹, Vytautas Magnus University^2
1Kaunas, Lithuania
²Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania

Keywords: dance sport, adolescents, communication abilities, organizational abilities.

Introduction. It is very important to encourage adolescents to join any organizations where they could solve different problems. The opinion of peers of a close group, style of communication and values are important for adolescents. Good relations among adolescents and their peers are among the most important factors of successful socialization [10; 11; 14].

Sport is a field that has a big impact on health, forms the world-view of children and adolescents and educates a public-spirited, conscious and creative personality that can be integrated into the modern environment successfully [9; 2; 3]. As the social culture changes, there is a rise of different forms of education that are mostly based on particular conceptions, theoretical grounds and different understanding of the purpose of education [1]. During dance sport classes, constant presence among peers and especially training in a couple or in small groups makes it possible to cognize own weaknesses and strengths, allows learning to understand and listen to another person and improve communication this way [7; 10; 12; 13]. While dancing, the body language says everything we may not say aloud and helps to reveal the problems that should be understood and solved [6; 8]. In the adolescence, it is especially important to have a possibility to express own feelings, say all ideas and just not to retire into oneself and it is sometimes much better to do it in other ways than verbally [4; 5].

The scientists [9; 6; 10; 11; 12 et al.] analyze the peculiarities of communication in different aspects. However, the number of studies about the impact of dance sport on the communication among adolescents is not sufficient. There are little data in the literature about the peculiarities of communication among dancers of different ages. The scientific data about the impact of dance sport on the communication among adolescents is lacking. Thus, the impact of dance sport on the communication among adolescents and the study of communication peculiarities are a relevant issue that should be analyzed. It is concluded that dance sport should have a positive impact on the communication abilities of adolescents.

Objective of the study was to determine the impact of dance sport on the communication abilities of 14-16-year-old adolescents.

Research methods and structure. 370 adolescents participated in the questionnaire survey: 170 (80 boys and 90 girls) attended dance sport and 200 (100 boys and 100 girls) did not attend any sport activity-related circles.

The methodology by B.A. Fedorishin and V.V. Siniavski [9] was compiled for the diagnostics of potential human possibilities in the development of their communication and organizational inclinations. It is based on the principle of the reflection and assessment of certain behaviour peculiarities of the researched in different situations (which are known to the researched on the basis of his/her personal experience).

The structure of organizational inclinations is characterized as the ability to affect people, successful solution of tasks and reaching for certain goals, ability to ascertain the “situational” human interaction expeditiously and push it to the necessary direction, reaching for the expression of the initiative and fulfilment of social work.

Personal communication inclinations are characterized as the ability to get friendly contacts with people quickly and easily, reaching for the development of communication fields, participation in social or group events satisfying the needs of people for wide, intensive communication.

This methodology foresees two variants of answers to 40 questions, which determine the meanings of evaluative coefficients with the help of keys. The evaluation scales are used for the qualitative standardization of the results of this research and a certain evaluation (Q) or communication or organizational inclination level “very low”, “low”, “average”, “above average” and “high” comply with a certain range of quantitative indexes (K)

The evaluative coefficient of communication or organizational inclinations (K) becomes obvious according to the ratio between each kind of inclination and the maximum possible coincidence (20). In this case, it is convenient to apply the formula K=P/20 or K=0.05*P

Where: K – value of the evaluative coefficient;

P – quantity of answers, which comply with the “key”.

The analysis of communication and organizational inclinations allows reviewing their structure by emphasizing certain components, which can be indicators of appropriate abilities.

The SPSS 21.0 program package was used for the analysis of the research data. The Student (t) and chi–square (χ²) criteria were used to check the hypothesis of mathematical statistics and evaluate the reliability of the difference between the researched groups. Our scientific hypothesis was checked by choosing the significance level α = 0.05. The averages of the analyzed variables were evaluated by using 95 per cent confidence intervals. The differences between appropriate indexes were considered statistically significant if the calculated statistical significance was p<0.05.

Results and discussion. As it was mentioned above, the methodology by B.A. Fedorishin and V.V. Siniavski was compiled for the diagnostics of possibilities of adolescents in the development of their communication and organizational inclinations. It is based on the principle of the reflection and assessment of certain behaviour peculiarities of the researched in different situations (which are known to the researched on the basis of his/her personal experience). The answers of the researched were developed on the basis of the self-analysis of experience of their behaviour in a certain situation.

The questionnaire survey of 14-16-year-old adolescents and the statistical data analysis showed that the communication abilities of dance sport-doing boys and girls were higher (p<0.05, χ²=33.4; p<0.05, χ²=33.34) compared with those, who do not attend any sport activity-related circles (Table 1). The communication abilities of even 50 % dancing boys and 55.56 % dancing girls complied with the “high” evaluation level. Meanwhile, the highest percentage distribution of the boys and girls, who did not attend dance sport, complied with the “average” communication ability level, 34 % and 24 %, respectively.

Dance sport has a positive impact on the improvement of organizational abilities of adolescents, too. The indices of dancing boys and girls are better (p<0.05, χ²=33.15; p<0.05, χ²=33.3) (Table 1). The organizational abilities of even 51.25 % dancing boys and 30 % dancing girls complied with the “high” evaluation level. The highest percentage distribution (43 %) of the boys, who did not attend dance sport, complied with the “average” organizational ability level. Most (39 %) of the girls, who did not attend dance sport, complied with a “very low” organizational ability level.

Table 1. Indices of communication and organizational abilities of adolescents, who attend and do not attend in dance sport

Conclusions. Based on the findings, we determined that the adolescents engaged in dance sport had better communication abilities. The “higher than average” and “high” levels were typical of most dancers. The adolescents, who did not attend any dance classes, were mostly at the levels that complied with lower communication abilities. It allows stating that dancing adolescents have the ability to get official and friendly contacts with people quickly and try to develop their circle of communication. Better communication abilities mean the person’s flexibility, self-confidence and orientation in communication with people. We can state that their dance classes have an undoubted impact on it because adolescents get used to their group mates and keep constant friendly relations with their peers.

We ascertained that dancing adolescents had higher organizational abilities, too. We can state that dance has a positive impact on the initiative and high energetic level of adolescents and it is characteristic to their organizational abilities. Dominance and risk are expressed in dancers during the performance when the implementation of set goals and self-confidence are the most important things.

To sum up the indices of organizational and communication abilities of 14-16-year-old adolescents, we can state that dance sport has an undoubted impact on the communication abilities of adolescents. An important function of this activity is a proper way of leisure time, a certain activity of entertainment and relaxation. In the social and cultural aspect, dance is understood as a way of communication, wellness activity, a certain form of entertainment and a factor for the development of creativity.

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Corresponding author: aiste.uspuriene@lsu.lt

ABSTRACT

The impact of dance sport on the communication among adolescents and study of communication peculiarities is a relevant issue that should be researched as the number of studies on this topic is not sufficient. Objective of the study was to determine the impact of dance sport on the communication abilities of 14-16-year-old adolescents. The results show that adolescents, who attend dance sport, have better communication and organizational abilities. Most dancers have an above average and high level of these abilities. The adolescents, who do not attend any dance sport classes, mostly fall to the levels that comply with lower communication and organizational abilities. To sum it up, we can state that dance sport has an undoubted impact on the communication abilities of 14-16-year-old adolescents.