A Qualitative Study on the Relationship Between Reality Therapy and Tango

11th INTERNATIONAL USBILIM SOCIAL SCIENCES CONGRESS , Çankırı, Türkiye, 27 - 30 Nisan 2026, ss.589-590, (Özet Bildiri)

Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Özet Bildiri
Basıldığı Şehir: Çankırı
Basıldığı Ülke: Türkiye
Sayfa Sayıları: ss.589-590
İstanbul Medipol Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Abstract The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between Reality Therapy, developed by William Glasser, and tango as a social and interactive dance form. The study was designed within a qualitative research framework. The study group consisted of two tango instructors who actively provide training and were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. During the interviews, participants were briefly informed about the key concepts, processes, and techniques of Reality Therapy, and their views on possible connections between these concepts and tango were obtained. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis. The findings obtained from the interviews were interpreted together with the researcher’sthree-term tango training experience. During the analysis process, the data were categorized under themes and examined within the framework of the main concepts, therapeutic processes, and techniques of Reality Therapy. To enhance credibility, participant views and researcher observations were evaluated together. Reality Therapy is based on the assumption that human behavior is driven by internal choices and aims to satisfy basic psychological needs such as belonging, power, freedom, and fun. It emphasizes that many psychological problems stem from the inability to establish satisfying relationships. Tango, as a partner dance requiring interaction, harmony, empathy, and communication, provides a concrete environment where these needs can be experienced. The findings indicate that tango shares significant similarities with Reality Therapy not only in terms of basic psychological needs but also regarding concepts such as identity, involvement, choice, and responsibility. From a therapeutic perspective, stages such as involvement, focusing on present behavior, evaluating behavior, and planning responsible actions can also be observed in tango education. Instructors ’feedback, goal-setting practices, and learning processes resemble therapeutic interventions. Additionally, techniques such as effective questioning, humor, and enhancing self-awareness are indirectly reflected in tango teaching practices. In conclusion, there is a multidimensional relationship between Reality Therapy and tango practice. Tango offers an experiential field that contributes to self-awareness, relational understanding, and responsibility-taking. Therefore, it can be considered a complementary and experiential intervention tool in psychological counseling processes. Keywords: Reality therapy, tango, choice theory, psychological needs, qualitative research,