Exposing Shame in Dancers and Athletes: Shame, Trauma, and Dissociation in a Nonclinical Population

Abstract

The relationship between shame, past traumatic events, and dissociation in a nonclinical university and community sample of pre-professional/professional dancers (n = 140) and recreational/competitive athletes (n = 99) was investigated in this cross-sectional study, which was approved by an institutional review board. Participants completed 3 self-report measures (i.e., the Dissociative Experiences Scale, Internalized Shame Scale, Traumatic Events Questionnaire), and the analyses included correlation, multivariate analysis of variance, and a series of regression analyses. The investigation indicated that dancers had increased shame and dissociation in comparison to athletes, and males had more traumatic experiences and increased dissociation relative to females. In the regression analyses, being a dancer, traumatic experiences, and shame predicted dissociation. Clinical recommendations include integrating shame treatment with dissociative-disordered patients and noting that dancers may need more psychological skill training to manage shame and dissociation.

Keywords:

• athletes
• dancers
• dissociation
• shame
• trauma

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge California State University, Northridge; the Department of Kinesiology; and the following research assistants: Rachel Ashton, Hanna Khalifa, Mariko Iwabuchi, Tanya Oleskowicz, Trisha Williams, and Janelle Whittaker.