Thursday, 24 April 2014

Theories of Motivation- Literature Review 3

Motivation itself has a full on connection to why ballet dancers keep on dancing. They are always willing to go through and face the pressures of the industry because they have goals or dreams to conquer that are more important than dealing with the hardships.
This fantastic source of literature gives an in depth explanation on all the different types of the unconscious and conscious motivations. Here I have typed out some of my own notes and pointers, exploring the relations of these theories in ballet dancers.


Intrinsic motivation- Driven by interest and enjoyment of task itself, ‘exists within individual’ (own accord/choice)
Þ   Dancers express feelings from within
Extrinsic motivation- comes from outside the individual, when you perform an activity in order to gain an outcome
Þ   Can lead to over-justification and reduction of interest in intrinsic motivations/desirability within
Þ   However with some extrinsic boundaries, can enhance the desirability of activity

*More rewarding for themselves to dance?
*Do the extrinsic benefits, motives contribute them to keep going?

Push Factors - Connected with internal forces (e.g. need for something)
                           -Stimulated by external and situational aspects of motivation
Pull Factors   - External factors that create desirability for that activity/goal

°As several motives can occur at the same time, you can’t assume that only one motive drives an individual to perform an action

How does this all connect to professional ballet?
·      Dancers feel the internal forces, and need/desire to dance (intrinsic and/or push)
o   Feeling ‘whole,’ express feelings, creativity, enjoyment, food for the soul, passion and love for it, adrenalin, and emotions to express
·      Extrinsic/pull factors are included too
o   Job, keeps body fit, pays salary, fame, competition, promotion, and certain roles, music?


*What is a more effective type of motivation? Intrinsic or extrinsic? Push or pull   factors?
*Is a balance between the two involved, to keep dancers going?


Drive or Desire

“A deficiency or need that activated behaviour that is aimed at a goal or an incentive.” (Drive-Dictionary.com)

A drive/desire originates from an individual’s feelings and doesn’t require external incentives to stimulate their behaviour.

*Relation:
-       When not dancing, an inner desire is established to want to dance (Injury, on holiday etc.)
-       Deficient in a certain move, e.g. if challenging, the dancer will act upon it and be motivated to practice?

Another perspective- Drive-reduction theory:
Where strength of drive increases if it is not satisfied, and once satisfied there is less of a desire to perform that activity/behaviour.
E.g. after dancing you become tired- After a long day of dancing generally you feel satisfied, which leads on a desire to rest afterwards because that is what you lack at that point in time…

Incentive theory
When a reward is presented after an action/behaviour has happened, with the intention for it to occur again
Þ   Positive meaning to the behaviour
Þ   More immediate the reward, greater the effect
Þ   Repetitive reward- becomes a habit.
(Does it become a habit to dance? - class, certain warm up, exercises result in the reward to dance better?)

Motivation + Behaviour- influenced by beliefs.
-       Engage in activity that is believed to increase/gain reward, goal or feelings

*What rewards do ballet dancers feel they gain once they have danced in?:
-       Class
-       Warm up or exercise
-       Rehearsals
-       Performing, on the stage
-       Other exercise
*Do any dancers feel it is now a habit at a professional level?
*Is it based on belief that dancing will bring reward? How do they judge what is rewarding? Moral values...

Incentive theory= Positive reinforcement
The stimulation leads to creating/conditioned to make the person happier or satisfied
Þ   Dancing releases endorphins, and feelings of wholeness
Þ   Stretching more to achieve goal of higher legs
Þ   Practicing to achieve a tricky movement/piece of choreography

Drive= Negative Reinforcement
Stimulation to carry on knowing it will remove the punishment
Þ   Do class every day to improve technique, so improves lines and aesthetics of your movement
Þ   Exercise to keep strong and reduce risk of injury
Þ   Rest to eliminate pain from injury


“For those who received no extrinsic reward, self determination theory proposes that extrinsic motivation can be internalized by the individual if the task fits with their values and beliefs, and therefore helps to fulfill their basic psychological needs.”
This article moves on to reflecting how motivation derives from providing an individual’s needs.

Motivation:  “The process used to allocate energy to maximize the satisfaction of needs” (Pritchard and Ashwood definition)
*Reflecting upon articles, my pilot interviews, discussion and my own experience, the inner feelings in the enjoyment to dance comes with a ‘need’ to- giving the reason of ‘just because!’
I feel this can suggest that if you want to satisfy a need, you will act upon it and allocate time and effort towards that need. Ballet dancers will dance to satisfy their need to move… well this is how I feel!

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
“People are motivated by unsatisfied needs”
1.     Physiological (hunger, thirst, sleep)
2.     Safety/security/health
3.     Belongingness/love/friendship
4.     Self-esteem/recognition/achievement
5.     Self actualization

As a human being, we can relate to motivating ourselves to provide us with these needs.
*How does dancing fit into this? Do ballet dancers feel that their profession provides them with all of these?

Maslow believes ‘only unsatisfied needs influence behaviour’ and action.
Point of note: as ballet especially strives for that never attainable perfection, is this why they always want to improve and push forward? Is it the case where they are instantly trying to satisfy the needs of perfection, which will technically always be unsatisfied to some extent?

*Idea:
To test whether ballet/dance provides basic needs to professional dancers, give list of the 16 basic desires and ask them to tick which they feel provide them.

Herzberg’s two-factor theory
Factors in the workplace that create job satisfaction

Motivators: challenging work, responsibility, recognition
Þ   Working on challenging choreo, roles in a ballet, representing a company, leading a group piece
Hygiene Factors: Status, job security, salary- doesn’t necessarily motivate but is de-motivating when absent.
Þ   Injury creating lck in job security
Þ   No job/unemployed/contract cuts
Þ   Rejection in auditions
Þ   Salary cutbacks due to lack of funding in the arts

Self-determination theory: Elements
       Humans are inherently proactive with their potential and mastering their inner forces (such as drive and emotions).
       Humans have an inherent tendency towards growth, development and integrated functioning.
       Optimal development and actions are inherent in humans but they do not happen automatically.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation- self determination theory)

Goal setting theory
When an individual has a drive to reach a certain goal or clearly defined end state- often a reward in itself
Þ   Relates to the idea of how ballet dancers motivate themselves to overcome challenges, achieve their goals to perhaps feel rewarded?

Models of behavioural change:
When there is a new, unexpressed behaviour, there might be a change in the behaviour that can seem or become more important than the current motivation. Main causes:
                Instigation (Ts) - increases tendency when an activity has intrinsic ability to satisfy;
                Inhibition (Taf) - decreases tendency when there are obstacles to performing an activity; and
                Consummation - decreases a tendency as it is performed.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation- Models of behaviour change)

*Are there behavioural changes in ballet, when it comes to motivation?

Attribution theory

A process by which an individual believes how the causes of success and failure affect motivations from emotions
Þ   Intrapersonal- self directed emotions and thoughts from one’s self/feelings
Þ   Interpersonal- Beliefs about responsibility of others and their impact on other’s emotions

*Talks about seeking positive feedback from failures- used as motivation
Þ   Use emotion from failure to motivate, to then fix it and succeed

*Dancers deal with constant failure, but they are known to be self drive, that these failure could perhaps help keep them going?
*To be so self driven- a vital attribute to have as a ballerina?





Monday, 21 April 2014

Award Title- 6C

Having achieved a Diploma in Dance with Trinity College of London, it seems most appropriate to further my studies with BA (Hons) in Professional Practice in Dance, gaining greater in-depth knowledge in my chosen field to inspire young aspiring ballet dancers in the future.  

Dancing has been a part of my life ever since my 1st ballet class at aged 4. Whether it was my inspiring teacher (who encouraged us to pretend to push shopping trolleys in our mothers’ high heels/ let us be fairies in the forest) or the beautiful grand white tutus that I would always dream of wearing, I will never know, but perhaps the combination of all those factors contributed to the path I took, and lead me to where I am now.
Ever since I was little, practicing various styles- ballet, contemporary, jazz, tap, flamenco. I had the privilege of being part of wonderful ballet schools, dance studios, a select ballet academy, a tap company, and a flamenco company, and was privileged to tap at the Swiss and the World Tap Championships.
Joining a full time vocational ballet school meant that I was serious about pursuing a career as a professional dancer. The environment was invigorating, and the new ballet life became more real as opportunities came up to dance and tour with world-renowned companies in England, and a neo-classical/contemporary company in Singapore

I’d like my inquiry to focus specifically on professional ballet dancers, and their compelling reasons why they enjoy dancing. It not only sets to explore their inspirations and motivations in their choice to follow the classical ballet path, but also aims to inspire ballet dancers and share the magic of the classical ballet world to others. Therefore I would like to specify the award title to ‘Dance’ because it is the field of practice I work in and benefit from, and it is within the area my inquiry will focus on.


I plan to continue pursuing this career, as long as I am able, and even afterwards I would still like to be involved in this magical world of dance. Therefore I believe the award title of a BA Honors in Dance will help me in doing so for my future career.

Monday, 14 April 2014

Response to Inquiry questions- 4C

A very much delayed post on some responses, but got some great feedback from one professional ballet dancer!
Why do you dance? 
What stimulates you, and motivates you to keep going through all the hardships of a professional ballet dancer?

I think there are three main reasons that keeps me dancing and what motivated me most to continue during the hard times: performing ; the creativity on it and the many types of dance and areas that you can work ; the physical involvement on it. 

Performance is the main goal for dancers and I always felt more motivated after great performances. Even the bad ones challenge me to get better. To be on stage is a unique feeling , I always felt that I was finally alone. On stage just you decide , is just you in control. You deliver your whole body for the audience. Nobody can stop you. I enjoy this loneliness. I also enjoy the energy of all others involved , the expectation and how tired you are after performing. One of the things that I am most enjoying this year is that I perform every day. Always when I was feeling that i wanted to stop , once i was in stage i thought: no , I cant stop... that can be associate with the other point that i mentioned. 

The creativity involved on the dance world really motivates me. I am an open minded person , who likes to experiment new stuff and is far away from dreaming to be a white swan. I get super excited once i am learning a new a totally different choreo or discover other type of class , other style. When i watch performances from different dance companies and realize how many types of perform exist , and are amazing , really motivates me to keep going and to find my place. The challenge is a great feeling... so when i perform and realize how i love to be on stage , and how many ways i can be on stage.Contemporary , Neoclassical , Classical , many choreographers , musicals , physical theater 

When i watch a company I think there are three main reasons that keeps me dancing and what motivated me most to continue during the hard times: performing ; the creativity on it and the many types of dance and areas that you can work ; the physical involvement on it- doing something that i never saw and involves me , is really motivating. 

The third one is the physical aspect. Yes we feel a lot of pain , yes we get really tired. But is addictive and we cant stop for a long time. I feel my body different when i am shape and i enjoy this feeling. And how many times dance also helped me to forget about my problems. I think even is a decide to stop dancing , i wont stop danicng totally because is a type of exercise which is diffferent from any gym , pilates , yoga session...and i think it also motivates me , because i end up enjoying the healthy life style.





Thursday, 10 April 2014

Key topics picked up….


SIG’s

Findings on Pilot Interviews- A few fellow BAPP students, also ballet dancers

Why enjoy dancing:
·      Stage and performing
·      Love and passion
·      Music
·      Can’t imagine anything else
·      Only thing have known
·      Control over mind and body
·      Sense of let down if quit

Why ballet?
Elegance
Athleticism
Challenging and rewarding- sense of achievement
Base genre of all styles
Style enjoy most
Short-lived career

Stimulations
·      Music
Þ   Portray what music expresses
Þ   Inspiration for Choreography
Þ   Sense of freedom
·      Interesting choreography

Challenges
·      Job finding
·      Rejection, casting
·      Injury
·      Maintaining physicality- health and fitness
·      Technique- looking as perfect as possible
Overcoming
·      Positivity
·      Keep fit
·      Balance between training and free time
·      Talk to friends and family
·      Gym- endorphins, exercise,
·      Eat well, Rest
·      Surround self in same situation- moral support
Links to the idea of motivation helping to overcome these sorts of challenges, and have been able to identify a few of these factors. Now I would like to know, for instance, how to keep positive. Find guidelines- dancers experiences, literature, blogs etc.

Motivation/Inspiration
·      Feeling on stage- Endorphins
·      Watching others, famous dancers, mentors- does watching help? Mirror Neurons…
·      Teachers as a guidance
·      Friend’s successes
·      Music- again, a huge factor!

Survey Results:

Generally I picked up similar answers to the interviews. Looking back at the two I realised some questions were similar, and led to the dancers repeating themselves. I also found that some written questions in the survey gave better answers to that in the interview. One comment even stated how I should look at the wording of my questions to promote opening up lines of inquiry instead of leading to/giving answers I may believe myself.

Tuesday, 1 April 2014

Pilot Interview and Survey (6A)

I have decided to construct an interview as my main source of analysis for a number of reasons:
1.     To gain qualitive research and findings
2.     Use personal experiences and opinions as main source- reflects the thoughts and feelings of a ballet dancer’s intentions to dance
3.     Will help resolve other findings through semi-formal interviews
4.     Easier to describe what it is about and to be able to create mutual understanding of the inquiry topic
5.     Needed for the end product (video)
6.     Brings out the holistic approach to the project
I have also created a survey to help develop thoughts and issues/topics surrounding my inquiry further.
As a test run, I have sent out the interviews and surveys to BAPP students, who have had or are still ballet dancers, to receive feedback and get more of an insight of the type of responses. For now it has been easiest to send via email, as it is a lot more convenient being overseas.

After receiving one completed survey and interview from Emma Price, I have been able to pick up certain trends from the questions I have asked, for e.g
 “To perform and get a thrill from being on stage,”
“Music and interesting choreography…”
“Music inspires me…”
Concentrates on “performing to the audience,” onstage
These trends kept coming up relating to the main reasons why she keeps dancing. Therefore it made me think of looking into the music and dance relationship, linking to the theory of Dalcroze Eurythmics, which I will research into more. I also picked up on new motivational ideas mentally and physically.

I hope to have a variety of surveys to be able to develop great and productive questions for my interviews to follow, which will be a mixture of emails, phone calls and one-on-one sessions.

I look forward to receiving more feedback from the other fellow BAPP students to find out more.

Also, if any of you are dancers/fellow dancers please let me know if you would like to fill in or have a quick wiz through my trial interview and survey!

Critical Reflection- Four Main Tools for Inquiry (6B)

The main focus of experimenting with the inquiry tools will be to enable you to design our own practitioner research and learn from the experience.”(Readre 6, p.g 4)
These four main tools- observation, interview, focus groups and surveys/questionnaires, are designed to capture those real life experiences in a structured and ethical manner, as well as producing valid, reliable and qaulitive data.
In order to achieve this I believe it also necessary to focus on a few that will benefit your own, otherwise it becomes too time consuming and findings would lack quality.

Observations
This type of analysis could be done as an outside/ inside researcher, depending on what data is being collected and the role of the researcher.
Requirements:
·      Confidentiality and permission agreements considered
·      Ensure sensitivity in responding to any related ethics or issues
·      Need to reflect on own values and actions to be able to recognise your involvement (outside/inside observer)
·      Diary/log is absolutely necessary to record research findings (triangulation)
·      Be aware of the research environment

Benefits:
·      Provides a rich source of information of a behavioral nature
·      As an insider researcher- know the context and workplace, how sectors operate, greater access to people and connections!

Downfalls:
·      Be aware of preconceptions, personal opinions (biased)
·      Cannot be influenced by the culture of the organisation or its politics
·      A lot of ethical considerations involved
·      Time consuming

Observing might be beneficial in some ways for me as you can easily reflect on the different feelings and motivators within a dance environment.
Keeping a log, or jotting down notes here and there I always do, and so I could possibly write down my observations. However I won’t focus on using this tool as much, but to use some if its qualities I will consider.

Interviews
The main attraction about this tool is that it’s purely a qualitve method where the evidence you collect is from what people say. There are various methods to follow- structured to follow specific questions, semi-structured following questions and themes but allowing flexibility of emerging interests/issues, open interviews to allow freedom to relate to the interviewee specifically. I also like how there are various ways depending on your situation/occupation- face to face or over the phone, with an individual or a group, structured or informal.

Benefits:
·      “Can follow up on ideas, probe responses and investigate motives and feelings.” (Bell, 2005, pg.157)
·      Can ask ‘why’ questions
·      Feed off knowledge from experience- information that will be key for me!
·      Participants interpretation can be the main source of data

Downfalls:
·      The interviewer may affect the responses- personal qualities, gender, culture
·      Time consuming, but adaptable
·      Interviewees might feel intimidated, or lead to respond in one direction.
Here I would make sure to give the dancer the freedom of her/his own opinions.

There are certain considerations to be met here too, such as thinking exactly what data to collect and who from, where to interview and what to ask, get permission slips signed, how to record it and keep matter confidential, especially when videoing!
Because my inquiry focuses a lot on ballet dancers’ own opinions and experiences, interviewing would benefit me greatly in order source valid and enriching information. It would also be necessary when creating my short video.

Focus Groups
This is a tool I did consider to save time etc. however it leans more to a discussion group idea, rather than a group interview.
Requirements:
·      Groups of people with similar interests
·      Participants to be comfortable with one another
·      Need to be able to manage well
·      Permission to use their discussion as data

Benefits
·      Brings up good issues, opinion that could stimulate each others’ ideas that might not be thought of themselves
·      Triggers topics

Downfalls:
·      Stronger personalities take over, and can’t get full opinions from everyone
·      Can’t get all personal opinions within a group, especially the shy ones
·      Analysing and transcribing is difficult from a whole group.

In some sense this method would be useful in bringing up ideas to research further, however this is already done in SIG groups. These groups have helped in triggering topics within my inquiry. However I would prefer to get personal opinions and experiences that merge together in the end.

Surveys and Questionnaires
Surveys and especially questionnaires incline more to a quantitive research method. One thing that is vital is to think about the questions asked here in order to know what to interpret.
Benefits:
·      Collect data from a wide range of participants
·      Convenient
·      Easier to access
·      Less time consuming

Downfalls:
·      Need to ask a range to ensure validity
·      Lacks qualitive nature
·      Not personal

Surveys, rather than questionnaires, I thought would be great to start off with to be able to gain ideas, leading to clarity of what to ask in the interviews and how to move forward. When I read, “Blank spaces are inserted in the survey for worded qualitative responses…” To begin with I thought this is the way to go!

Articles, books, blogs, journal entries all will help in the development of my questions too. Keeping a journal is another great idea because ensures recording of your own reflections. It also shows the researchers’ involvement throughout the whole process. To me I would not keep a diary per say, but will jot down notes on the side to help develop my thoughts.
Therefore, based on the merits and limits of these different ‘tools,’ I have chosen to focus on two that would benefit me the most- Interviewing as my primary source, as well as a surveys and literature sources.