Teaching Laban’s Effort Theory

Posted on August 10, 2017 by Carol-Lynne Moore

Laban’s theory of the dynamics of human movement (effort) is deceptively simple. There are only four motion factors (Weight, Time, Space, and Flow) and eight effort qualities. But the theory becomes much richer because different combinations and sequences of effort qualities express very different states of mind.

It is difficult to convey this richness in a semester-long course. And I think that is okay. Students should not believe they have mastered all there is to know about Laban in only a few weeks. The key is to spark curiosity and a desire to continue to learn about movement expression.

Consequently, while Meaning in Motion is meant to be an introductory text, there is more material than can be covered in one semester. For example, the chapter on Effort not only introduces the four motion factors and eight effort qualities. It also covers all the states and drives, providing suggestions for creative explorations of these more complex dynamic expressions.

In explaining effort as expression, I discuss the psychological correlations that Laban drew with the motion factors and the basic phrasing pattern of preparation, exertion, and recuperation. These notions are also linked to a reflective movement exploration.

Increasingly I have come to feel that it is important for students to understand relationships between states and drives – how states build to a drive or provide recuperation from a drive. This is obviously more advanced material, but the adequate explanation is incorporated in the chapter on effort as well as in appendix material to help students begin to “think in terms of effort.”

This was always Laban’s admonition. Thinking in terms of effort requires a conceptual shift from focusing on what is done to appreciating how the movement is done.

MPA Stands Up to Rigorous Testing

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Carol-Lynne Moore

In 2011, I participated in a pilot study examining the validity of Movement Pattern Analysis profiles in predicting decision-making patterns. Although MPA has been used by senior business teams for over 50 years, its potential application to the study of military and political leaders has barely been tapped. The pilot study was the first test of this new area of application.

Twelve military officers made up the research participant group. The research team consisted of Dr. Tim Colton, a political scientist from Harvard and Dr. Richard Rende, a psychologist from Brown, along with Movement Pattern Analysts Brenda Connors, James McBride, and myself. We interviewed the participants and constructed their profiles. Several months later, the officers completed four hypothetical decision-making tasks designed by the other members of the research team. The subjects could partially control the amount of information sought and the amount of time spent on each task before coming to a decision.

And the results? As Connors, Rende, and Colton report:

“A composite MPA indicator of how a person allocated decision-making actions and motivations to balance both Assertion (exertion of tangible movement effort on the environment to make something occur) and Perspective (through movements that support shaping in the body to perceive and create a suitable viewpoint for actions) was highly correlated with the total number of information draws and total response time – individuals high on Assertion reached for less information and had faster response times than those high on Perspective.”

In other words, the MPA profile provided valuable predictive information about individual differences in decision making!

Find out more about your own decision-making patterns in the forthcoming Introduction to Movement Pattern Analysis seminar.

MPA as a Teaching Tool, Part 2

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Carol-Lynne Moore

By Madeleine Scott, Registered Movement Pattern Analyst

The application of Movement Pattern Analysis in building teams was not the focus of my experiment with making basic profiles of undergraduate dance majors for a seminar on career development. However, I realized that an implicit team relationship clearly exists between student and teacher.

Students and teachers must work together, or they will fail to collaborate successfully in the educational enterprise. The profile information about the group allowed me to re-assess the strengths and weaknesses of my own profile. This re-assessment of my own style helped me to be a more effective teacher and to respond appropriately to the “team profile” style that this group of students engendered.

In summary, the use of MPA as a teaching tool can improve performance for faculty in various ways:

1) MPA can provide a novel and self-reflective way to analyze course organization and management, and to strategize meeting the needs of students with different learning styles;

2) MPA can provide perspective on the academic advising activities required of the professoriate today;

3) It can enhance mentorship practices required for new faculty and staff.

Find out more about Movement Pattern Analysis in MoveScape Center’s March introductory course.

MPA as a Teaching Tool, Part 1

Posted on January 17, 2017 by Carol-Lynne Moore

By Madeleine Scott, Registered Movement Pattern Analyst

I utilized the Movement Pattern Analysis decision-making framework to support an undergraduate seminar for dance majors that focused on career planning and resume/portfolio development. In preparation for the course, I had interviewed and constructed basic profiles of all thirteen students. This revealed specific learning needs of the group and suggested strategies to meet these needs.

For example, students with strong Attending motivation need to be interested in the subject as such. They need to go into the subject in depth and also see it from a number of different angles. Attention-oriented students like an open-ended approach where he/she can make discoveries.

Students with a strong Intending motivation need to have a definite purpose and want to establish the value of a subject and its worthwhile-ness. They respond well to challenges and want to know how well they are performing in relation to others. Intention-oriented students like a clear approach with tasks he/she can come to grips with.

Students with a strong Committing motivation need to see a prospect for getting results out of their studies. They need to see that tangible progress is being made at a good pace and want immediate feedback on performance. Commitment-oriented students like a well-organized approach, systematized wherever possible.

I found that the MPA profiles helped students to understand their own decision-making processes. This can facilitate better management not only of individual studies but also of collaborative projects that must be carried out with peers.

In the following blog, I discuss how the MPA Interaction Motivations and team building, though not the primary focus of this course, also became relevant as a teaching tool.