Examining the Impact of Continuous Dance on Emotions and Factors Influencing Dance Self-Efficacy

Introduction: The COVID-19 outbreak since 2019 seriously affected both physical and mental health, making relief for long-term negative emotions a top priority. While dance behavior in physical education is known to alleviate negative emotions, few researchers explored its effect after sudden crises like COVID-19 and antecedents of sustained dance behavior, i.e., factors influencing dance self-efficacy under such specific conditions. This study conducts empirical research by distributing 307 questionnaires to dance school students from two universities in China and South Korea, aiming to address gaps in related fields and offer guidance to future researchers and practitioners.\n\nMethods: In this study, structural equation modeling was carried out using a questionnaire. Empirical data were collected separately from two universities in China and Korea to examine the relationship between the constructs. Theoretical framework construction utilized the stimulus-organism-response framework and social cognitive theory for an in-depth exploration of the psychological factors affecting dance self-efficacy and whether continuous dance behavior can alleviate negative emotions after a crisis.\n\nResults: The findings reveal that dance self-efficacy emerges as a crucial factor in sustaining individuals\' ongoing dance intentions, with dance activities positively impacting mood improvement. Both mastery experience and vicarious experience significantly influence dance self-efficacy, albeit with differing effects. Mastery experience positively enhances dance self-efficacy, while vicarious experience has a negative impact. Augmented feedback also affects dance self-efficacy, though to a lesser extent compared to the former two factors. In contrast, physiological and affective states differ from those in other disciplines as common sources for evaluating dance self-efficacy. Moreover, environmental factors influence dance self-efficacy in the aftermath of a crisis or external stimulus. \n\nDiscussion: This study extends the stimulus-organism-response framework and social cognitive theory to the context of physical education. It aims to reveal the antecedents of dance self-efficacy behavior in physical education activities and explore whether persistent dance activities after a sudden crisis have a soothing effect on emotions. The research results enrich the relevant literature on dance education and provide theoretical support and management inspiration for those engaged in physical education activities.