IADMS Madrid 2001   [back to the Category]

Observation and measurement in dance medicine and science   [read the french version]

Author :   Marijeanne Liederbach, MSATC, MSPT

Friday 2 November 2001
3:45 – 4:45 pm Room 1

Research Forum: Observation and measurement in dance medicine and science

Marijeanne Liederbach, MSATC, MSPT, Harkness Center for Dance Injuries, Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, NY, USA; Brent D. Anderson, PT, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; Roger Hobden, MD, Dip. Sports Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Virginia Wilmerding, PhD, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Tom Welsh, PhD, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA

This is the second in a series of research methodology panel discussions sponsored by the IADMS Research Committee. The purpose of the series is to build a consensus within our diverse membership about what constitutes competent research in dance medicine and science. The first panel described the purpose of scientific inquiry, types of research, and characteristics that make research results convincing. This panel focuses on the observation and measurement of dancer capacities and performance.
Systematic observation and measurement are essential components of effective research methodology. Defects in observation and measurement can render the results of an otherwise well-executed study meaningless, misleading, or irrelevant. Effective observation and measurement, on the other hand, can reveal patterns that explain long-held suspicious or suggest new and more productive ways of viewing the challenges faced by dancers, teachers, and health-care providers.
Reliability, validity, and sensitivity are three essential characteristics of scientific measurement. An observation and measurement system is reliable if it is capable of producing the same measurements each time it is administered for identical phenomena. Unreliable measurements can mask the effects of the independent variable under study.
A valid observation and measurement system actually measures the capacity or performance that is relevant to the dance training or treatment challenge addressed by the researchers. If, for example, a measure of arabesque height can be increased by rotating the pelvis excessively to one side instead of optimizing extension at the gesture hip and spine, many skillful dancers and trainers would find this measure of arabesque height invalid. For measurements to be valid, unintended influences must be eliminated or controlled.
Finally, observation and measurement systems must be sensitive enough to discriminate a difference of the size expected to result from the variable(s) under study. This problem is particularly salient when working with elite performers where small increments in capacity can have a sizable impact on performance. Reliable and valid measurements of dancer performance will be of little value to dance medicine and science researchers unless those measurements are also sensitive enough to reveal small yet important differences in elite performance.
Each presentation will include dance examples and a significant portion of period will be reserved for interaction with the audience. The Research Committee anticipates proposing future forums to address other research methodology topics such as: Research appropriate for dance medicine & science research, drawing valid conclusions from research results, and generalizing findings to relevant dance populations.