Today, we’re talking about Motivated Reasoning.
Motivated reasoning is a cognitive bias where individuals interpret information in a way that aligns with their existing beliefs or desires. It occurs when emotion overrides objective reasoning, leading people to seek, prioritise, or remember evidence that supports their views while ignoring or dismissing contradictory information. This bias reinforces personal opinions and makes it difficult to change one’s mind, even in the face of valid counterarguments.
A Dance-Related Example
Imagine a dancer who is convinced that dancing is the best form of exercise. They actively seek out information confirming this belief—reading articles on the benefits of dance for physical fitness, mental well-being, and emotional expression. If they come across research suggesting that other forms of exercise—such as strength training or swimming—might be more effective for certain health goals (like muscle development or endurance), they might dismiss this information or downplay its significance.
For example, the dancer might say:
“Sure, strength training might build muscle, but it’s not as fun or creative as dancing.”
“Swimming is great, but it doesn’t give you the same emotional connection and expression that dancing does.”
In this scenario, the dancer is engaging in motivated reasoning by processing information in a way that reaffirms their pre-existing belief that dance is superior to other exercises. They’re filtering out contradictory information and holding on to what supports their perspective, even though other forms of exercise have distinct and complementary benefits.
Why Motivated Reasoning Happens in Dance and Fitness
Motivated reasoning often has emotional roots. People develop attachments to certain practices, such as dance, because of the personal meaning, sense of identity, and joy it brings them. Dance is not just a physical activity; it engages the mind, body, and emotions. Because of this deep connection, it becomes difficult to acknowledge other perspectives or accept information that could challenge their views.
This can also occur in competitive dancers or studio owners who strongly believe that their dance style or method is the best way to learn. For instance, they may resist integrating new teaching methods or cross-training activities, even if those changes could enhance performance.
Practical Takeaways: Balancing Passion with Openness
While passion for dance is valuable, it’s essential to remain open to different perspectives and information. Here’s how dancers and instructors can avoid falling into the trap of motivated reasoning:
Acknowledge Emotional Bias: Understand that your emotional connection to dance may influence how you process information.
Seek Balanced Information: Look for both supporting and opposing viewpoints. For example, explore how cross-training with activities like Pilates or weight training could complement your dancing.
Stay Curious: Curiosity leads to growth. Try other activities not to replace dance but to broaden your fitness and movement knowledge.
Embrace Complexity: Different activities can serve different purposes. Dance may be the best form of exercise for mental and emotional engagement, but other activities can provide benefits that dance alone cannot.
Application at Dance Culture Studios
At Dance Culture Studios, we celebrate dance as a holistic experience—combining physical movement, emotional expression, and creative storytelling. However, we also encourage dancers to explore cross-training and alternative activities that can enhance their performance. For instance, yoga helps with flexibility and mindfulness, while strength training builds endurance and reduces the risk of injury.
This approach aligns with the idea that growth comes from a balance of passion and openness. Motivated reasoning may make it tempting to dismiss other forms of exercise, but a well-rounded dancer is one who embraces multiple disciplines. By doing so, dancers become not only stronger physically but also more resilient and versatile.
To sum it up:
Passion with Perspective
It’s natural to love dance and believe in its transformative power. After all, dance is much more than just physical movement—it connects the body, mind, and soul. However, growth comes from maintaining a healthy balance between passion and openness. Motivated reasoning can limit progress by creating blind spots, so it’s essential to embrace other perspectives and activities that can complement dance.
At Dance Culture Studios, we encourage our dancers to “fail forward” by being open to learning, trying new things, and constantly improving. Dance may be the best exercise for the soul, but a strong and open mind recognises that true mastery comes from engaging with diverse ideas and practices.
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