Performance Psychology in the Performing Arts

Abstract

Th e central theme of this Handbook is that the psychology of human performance can be studied across multiple domains, not just sport and exercise, and this chapter examines the research base that exists in another performance area: the performing arts. It would be overambitious, perhaps impossible, to do justice to the enormous variety of psychology topics that have potential implications for the performing arts; as such, this chapter focuses on research based in performance psychology, putting the performance of performing artists, suitably, at center stage. Within the limitations of my own training and expertise, I also make links to other areas where I have found them especially appropriate. A key issue addressed in the chapter is whether the approaches and techniques of sport psychology can be successfully used in the domains 5

Music of the night: Performance practitioner considerations for enhancement work in music.

“…Performance demands in music and sports share common ground. For instance, extreme commitment, early specialization, social isolation, training volume, identity foreclosure, coaching relationships, burnout, injury, psychological pressure, expertise, talent, deliberate practice, motivation, flow, perfectionism, and stigmata of psychological interventions occur in both domains (Hays, 2002; Nordin-Bates, 2012). In addition, aspects often considered “unique” to performing arts such as creativity, emotional expression, and communicative audience relationships can also be present in aesthetic sport disciplines.…”

“…These demands often require a combination of temporally precise fine motor execution, memorization of predetermined, lengthy and complex material, and the effective communication of technical proficiency with novel musical insight. In addition, possible differences in application of psychological skills (Nordin-Bates, 2012), coping (Poczwardowski & Conroy, 2002; Wolfe, 1990), personality (Kemp, 1996), goals (Hays & Brown, 2004; Lacaille, Koestner, & Gaudreau, 2007; Lacaille, Whipple, & Koestner, 2005), perceptions of anxiety (Gill, Murphy, & Rickard, 2006; Papageorgi, Creech, & Welch, 2013), psychopathology (Mula & Trimble, 2009), identity (e.g., Ivaldi & O’Neill, 2001), confidence (Sinden, 1999), learning cultures (Perkins, 2013), and systemic differences impact the occurrence of common issues and further distinguish music from sport.…”

“…Willmott & Collins, 2015). Despite the many convergences that make sport psychology applicable to music performance, specific divergences exist that should be considered to optimize existing methods and facilitate effective knowledge transfer (Hays, 2012; Nordin-Bates, 2012).…”

Remediation Strategies for Performance Anxiety across Sex, Sport and Stage: Identifying Common Approaches and a Unified Cognitive Model

“…The effective management of stage-related anxiety has included cognitive, behav-ioral, and affective approaches common to Sex and Sport: reframing; positive self-talk; problem-focused coping; imagery; relaxation, breathing and mindfulness; and increasing positive self-efficacy and self-esteem [ 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 ]. Furthermore, coping mechanisms relying on social support and interaction (e.g., joking) also appear helpful [ 88 , 95 ].…”

Multimodal Sensory-Spatial Integration and Retrieval of Trained Motor Patterns for Body Coordination in Musicians and Dancers

“…Although the quality of the motor execution is clearly important for professional dancers and musicians, it must be recognized that psychological factors, including focus and psychological well-being, play a vital role in professional dance and musical performance. More specifically, this might include motivation, perfectionism, injury and pain, personality types, social and professional relationships, anxiety and stress, memory, self-confidence, and self-esteem ( Nordin-Bates, 2012 ). Therefore, although not the focus of the current review, it is important to consider and acknowledge the wider contributions that psychological variables can have on performance.…”