Many of us know that physical exercise is good not only for our bodies, but also for our ‘soul’. It can give us a unique psychological buzz, especially when we do it with others – just ask your nearest SoulCycle devotee or Tough Mudder initiate.
This buzz has long intrigued observers of human sociality. For more than a century, anthropologists have written about social bonding and community cohesion arising through what Émile Durkheim in 1912 called ‘collective effervescence’ – a euphoric unity generated when humans come together and move together, be it in religious ritual, music, dance or sport.
This same buzz appears to be a natural performance-enhancer. Tough workouts can seem that little bit easier with the support of a good friend. In competitive sports, teams that ‘click’ perform beyond the sum of their individual parts, often punching well above their weight.
Decades after anthropologists first presented their ideas about social motion and cohesion, experimental studies using tools from the cognitive and behavioural sciences have begun to explain that buzz and its effects. Combining insights from evolutionary theory, anthropology, psychology and biology, research suggests that coordinated group movement – what we call social motion – sets the stage for the changes in brain chemistry often associated with altered perceptions and beliefs. This altered state of consciousness impacts the sense of pain and fatigue that is so key to athletic performance, as well as the sense of self and others at the root of social bonding.
Social motion comes in many forms across cultures and contexts – exercise, dance, ritual, labour and play – but it is universally characterised by two components: coordinated movement and physical exertion.
Evidence suggests that synchronising movement with others leads to feelings of togetherness or ‘oneness’ – perhaps because the intentional act of coordinating with another person necessitates sharing mental states. To row a boat down the river, the individual ‘I’ must become the collective ‘we’.
Other research indicates that physical exertion can lead to the release of endorphins and endocannabinoids. These are our body’s natural morphine and cannabis, responsible for feelings of wellbeing during sustained bouts of exercise. Extremes of these psychological states are colloquially known as the ‘runner’s high’.
To test the mechanism and nature of the bonding that being social bestows, our team ran a series of experiments. In one, we manipulated the two core components of social motion – synchrony and physical exertion – in groups of rowers who were positioned side by side on rowing machines. We found that, regardless of synchrony, groups who rowed at the intensity ‘sweet spot’ for experiencing the positive buzz of exercise cooperated significantly more in a post-exercise economic game, compared with groups who exercised at a rate just under this threshold. Cooperation is an important marker of close relationships, indicative of more cohesive, bonded groups.
This result helps to explain why we often feel closer to friends after a night out dancing or a morning jog. In these activities, we share physical and mental states that are important for building and maintaining cooperative relationships.
Which of the following is true regarding “Social Motion” as mentioned in the paragraph?
Many of us know that physical exercise is good not only for our bodies, but also for our ‘soul’. It can give us a unique psychological buzz, especially when we do it with others – just ask your nearest SoulCycle devotee or Tough Mudder initiate.
This buzz has long intrigued observers of human sociality. For more than a century, anthropologists have written about social bonding and community cohesion arising through what Émile Durkheim in 1912 called ‘collective effervescence’ – a euphoric unity generated when humans come together and move together, be it in religious ritual, music, dance or sport.
This same buzz appears to be a natural performance-enhancer. Tough workouts can seem that little bit easier with the support of a good friend. In competitive sports, teams that ‘click’ perform beyond the sum of their individual parts, often punching well above their weight.
Decades after anthropologists first presented their ideas about social motion and cohesion, experimental studies using tools from the cognitive and behavioural sciences have begun to explain that buzz and its effects. Combining insights from evolutionary theory, anthropology, psychology and biology, research suggests that coordinated group movement – what we call social motion – sets the stage for the changes in brain chemistry often associated with altered perceptions and beliefs. This altered state of consciousness impacts the sense of pain and fatigue that is so key to athletic performance, as well as the sense of self and others at the root of social bonding.
Social motion comes in many forms across cultures and contexts – exercise, dance, ritual, labour and play – but it is universally characterised by two components: coordinated movement and physical exertion.
Evidence suggests that synchronising movement with others leads to feelings of togetherness or ‘oneness’ – perhaps because the intentional act of coordinating with another person necessitates sharing mental states. To row a boat down the river, the individual ‘I’ must become the collective ‘we’.
Other research indicates that physical exertion can lead to the release of endorphins and endocannabinoids. These are our body’s natural morphine and cannabis, responsible for feelings of wellbeing during sustained bouts of exercise. Extremes of these psychological states are colloquially known as the ‘runner’s high’.
To test the mechanism and nature of the bonding that being social bestows, our team ran a series of experiments. In one, we manipulated the two core components of social motion – synchrony and physical exertion – in groups of rowers who were positioned side by side on rowing machines. We found that, regardless of synchrony, groups who rowed at the intensity ‘sweet spot’ for experiencing the positive buzz of exercise cooperated significantly more in a post-exercise economic game, compared with groups who exercised at a rate just under this threshold. Cooperation is an important marker of close relationships, indicative of more cohesive, bonded groups.
This result helps to explain why we often feel closer to friends after a night out dancing or a morning jog. In these activities, we share physical and mental states that are important for building and maintaining cooperative relationships.
Which of the following is true regarding “Social Motion” as mentioned in the paragraph?
The correct option is A “Social Motion” is the key to altering the state of consciousness. Thereby, impacting, among many aspects, the ability to socialise and form meaningful bonds.
Refer to the following lines of the 4th paragraph:
“…..what we call social motion – sets the stage for the changes in brain chemistry often associated with altered perceptions and beliefs. This altered state of consciousness impacts the sense of pain and fatigue that is so key to athletic performance, as well as the sense of self and others at the root of social bonding….”.
Clearly, option A fits the bill. Option B is wrong! Social motion is not the name given to the psychological buzz! ``Spiritual Realizations” in C is out of the context. Hence, option C can be eliminated as well. There is no correlation between “Social Motion” and “Growth of the Soul”, and hence, option D can be eliminated as well.
Refer to the following lines of the 4th paragraph:
“…..what we call social motion – sets the stage for the changes in brain chemistry often associated with altered perceptions and beliefs. This altered state of consciousness impacts the sense of pain and fatigue that is so key to athletic performance, as well as the sense of self and others at the root of social bonding….”.
Clearly, option A fits the bill. Option B is wrong! Social motion is not the name given to the psychological buzz! ``Spiritual Realizations” in C is out of the context. Hence, option C can be eliminated as well. There is no correlation between “Social Motion” and “Growth of the Soul”, and hence, option D can be eliminated as well.
