Abstract:
ABSTRACT
THE EFFECTS OF MULTICULTURAL DANCE ON
SELF-DETERMINATION OF ADULTS WITH
INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
by
© Christie L. Thurman 2010
Master of Arts in Kinesiology
California State University, Chico
Spring 2010
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a multicultural
dance program on the self-determination of Hispanic/Latino adults with intellectual disabilities.
An alternating treatments design was employed in this study; an inventory that
examined six subcategories of self-determination measured before, midway, and after the
program. The DANCE program was designed to foster self-determination through
emphasis on cultural tailoring to increase the subcategory of relatedness. The results did
not show a change in overall self-determination scores. However, the category of relatedness
decreased while participants participated in the non-Hispanic/Latino dance portion,
followed by a subsequent increase during the Hispanic/Latino portion of the program.
The conclusion was that relatedness can be changed through a culturally tailored dance
program, but further research is needed to increase self-determination.
