Correlates of performance anxiety in practical music exams

Abstract

A sample of 120 young musicians (36 males and 84 females) aged between 15 and 18 years (M = 16.5, SD = 0.97) were administered the EPQ-R short scale and a revised PAI-R, a self-report measure of performance anxiety in practical music exams. Principal components analysis indicated that the PAI-R scores were best represented by a single component with an internal consistency reliability of .88. Females had significantly higher scores on the PAI-R than males. A significant negative correlation between PAI-R scores and psychoticism, and a significant positive correlation between PAI-R scores and neuroticism scores was obtained. The correlation between PAI-R scores and extraversion was negative but not significant. There was no significant correlation between PAI-R scores and years of playing. The implications of these findings for music teachers are considered.

Institutional culture and learning II: inter-relationships between perceptions of the learning environment and undergraduate musicians' attitudes to performance

“…Studies have also established that females are particularly sensitive to performance anxiety. This appears to be the case for musicians of all ages Á children, adolescents and adults (Dews and Williams 1989;Fishbein et al 1988;Kenny and Osborne 2006;Papageorgi 2007aPapageorgi , 2007bRae and McCambridge 2004;Ryan 2004;Wesner, Noyes, and Davis 1990).…”

Traits and cognitions of perfectionism and their relation with coping style, effort, achievement, and performance anxiety in Japanese musicians

“…Performance anxiety is defined as an anxiety disorder -specifically, a social phobia -if a performer exhibits significant impairment and otherwise meets the criteria for social phobia presented in DSM IV (APA, 1994). However, the degree to which musicians experience performance anxiety and other forms of distress may vary according to their personality characteristics (Rae & McCambridge, 2004). One personality characteristic that is believed to contribute to musicians' performance anxiety and distress is perfectionism (Dews & Williams, 1989;Kenny, Davis, & Oates, 2004;Mor, Day, Flett, & Hewitt, 1995).…”

Stage fright: its experience as a problem and coping with it

“…Furthermore, performance anxiety has been reported to have a negative impact on musicians' well-being and health (Owen 2009;Steptoe 2001), to impair the quality of performance (Brotons 1994;Craske and Craig 1984;Fredrikson and Gunnarsson 1992;Wesner et al 1990;Yoshie et al 2009), to lead to avoidance or interruption of performance (Clark and Agras 1991;Kaspersen and Götestam 2002;Wesner et al 1990), and thus, to affect the musicians' personal life and/or professional career (Owen 2009;Steptoe 2001;van Kemenade et al 1995;Wesner et al 1990). Strong stage fright was associated with curtailment of careers before they begin (Rae and McCambridge 2004) and the interruption of established professional careers (Clark and Agras 1991). Importantly, stage fright is not limited to the period immediately before and during performance.…”