scholarly journals Music performance anxiety and its relationship with social phobia and dimensions of perfectionism

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 310-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bianka Dobos ◽  
Bettina F. Piko ◽  
Dianna T. Kenny

Although music performance anxiety (MPA) is a common problem, there are only a few studies on this subject in Hungary. In this article, we investigate the underlying socio-demographic and psychological factors related to music performance anxiety. The sample consisted of musicians ( N = 100; aged between 15–35 years) who were studying or had completed their musical education. Study participants completed the Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory, Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, Social Phobia Inventory and other music-related questions. Females reported higher levels of MPA and social anxiety without a significant difference in perfectionism. Social phobia and perfectionism were significantly correlated with MPA. In multiple regression analysis four out of six subscales of perfectionism significantly predicted MPA, among which Parental Criticism and Doubts about Actions were positive, while Parental Expectations and Preference for Organization were negative predictors. We conclude that there is a strong interrelationship among MPA, social anxiety, and perfectionism. Findings suggest that in some cases of MPA there may also be co-morbid, non-performance related social phobia. These results indicate that MPA is complex and multi-factorial, with possible early onset, thus alerting parents, teachers, and mental health professionals to the value of early recognition, management, and intervention.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Wiedemann ◽  
Daniel Vogel ◽  
Catharina Voss ◽  
Jana Hoyer

Music performance anxiety (MPA) is considered a social anxiety disorder (SAD). Recent conceptualisations, however, challenge existing MPA definitions, distinguishing MPA from SAD. In this study, we aim to provide a systematic analysis of MPA interdependencies to other anxiety disorders through graphical modeling and cluster analysis. Participants were 82 music students (Mage=23.5 years, SD=3.4; 69.5% women) with the majority being vocal (30.5%), string (24.4%) or piano (19.5%) students. MPA was measured using the German version of the Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (K-MPAI). All participants were tested for anxiety-related symptoms using the disorder-specific anxiety measures of the DSM-5, including agoraphobia (AG), generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder (PD), separation anxiety disorder (SEP), specific phobia (SP), social anxiety disorder (SAD) and illness anxiety disorder (ILL). We found no evidence of MPA being primarily connected to SAD, finding GAD acted as a full mediator between MPA and any other anxiety type. Our graphical model remained unchanged considering severe cases of MPA only (K-MPAI≥105). By means of cluster analysis, we identified two participant sub-groups of differing anxiety profiles. Participants with pathological anxiety consistently showed more severe MPA. Our findings suggest that GAD is the strongest predictor for MPA amongst all major DSM-5 anxiety types.


2018 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 408-427
Author(s):  
Audrey-Kristel Barbeau ◽  
Roger Mantie

The purpose of the current study was to examine music performance anxiety and self-reported reasons for participation among members of older adult community bands. We asked 35 New Horizons Band members aged 65+ questions about their musical experience in face-to-face interviews, after which we administered two questionnaires: the Performance Anxiety Inventory for Musicians and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. We found a statistically significant difference in performance anxiety between participants suffering from trait anxiety (also called general anxiety) and those who did not. Utilizing the Novelty, Unpredictability, Threat to the Ego, and Sense of low control recipe (NUTS) for stress as a framework, we performed interview and questionnaire analyses that revealed that participants were concerned with issues associated with novelty, unpredictability, and lack of control in contexts of public performances (e.g., new pieces, lack of preparation, or challenging repertoire selected by the conductor). Participants perceived threats to their ego (such as feeling exposed, judged) as a major contributing factor of music performance anxiety. Participants reported the perceived benefits of musical involvement outweighed their negative (i.e., stressful) aspects.


2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 136-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carole Nielsen ◽  
Regina K. Studer ◽  
Horst Hildebrandt ◽  
Urs M. Nater ◽  
Pascal Wild ◽  
...  

According to cognitive models, the negative perception of one’s performance and the post-event rumination (PER) occurring after stressful social events maintain social anxiety. These aspects have hardly been studied in music performance anxiety (MPA), a specific form of social anxiety. The first aim of this study was to analyze the development of negative and positive PER over two days following a soloist concert, depending on the usual MPA level. The second aim was to investigate if subjective performance quality serves as mediator between MPA and PER. Negative and positive PER were assessed 10 minutes, one day and two days after a concert in 72 music students with different levels of usual MPA. Subjective performance quality was measured 10 minutes after the study concert. An increasing usual MPA level was associated with more negative and less positive PER. Both decreased over time. Negative PER decreased less rapidly in high-anxious than in low-anxious musicians and positive PER decreased more rapidly in low-anxious than in high-anxious musicians. Subjective performance quality mediated the relationship between MPA and PER. These findings extend previous knowledge in social anxiety to the field of MPA and have implications for interventions aiming at reducing MPA.


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S110-S110
Author(s):  
F.L. Osório ◽  
A.B. Burin ◽  
I.S. Nirenberg ◽  
A.E.M. Barbar

IntroductionThe understanding of the causes of music performance anxiety (MPA) and of strategies to cope with it is important for the comprehension/management of this common condition in musicians.ObjectiveTo investigate the causes of MPA reported by Brazilian musicians and the efficacy of the most commonly used strategies to cope with it.MethodsTwo hundred and fourteen Brazilian musicians (53% professional/musicians from orchestras, 67% male, mean age: 34.02 years, 65% with over 11 years of education, 42% of which played string instruments) completed different self-rating scales to assess the presence/absence of MPA.ResultsThirty-nine per cent of the musicians had indicators of MPA. The most commonly reported causes were repertoire difficulty (57%), concerns about audience response (52%), and self-pressure (51%). The most common coping techniques included breathing/relaxing techniques (66%) and increased practice (53%), regarded as efficient by at least 49% of the musicians. Strategies like seeing a doctor/psychiatrist/psychologist and taking antidepressant/anxiolytic medication were among the least frequently used in the sample. Also, 18% of musicians with MPA used beta-blockers and 6% used non-prescribed medications. Comparatively, musicians with MPA believed that it was associated with a higher number of conditions and regarded coping techniques as less efficient.ConclusionMusicians consider internal situations to be the most frequent causes of MPA and use different coping strategies with average effectiveness. Results highlight the poor use of well-established therapeutic resources and the occurrence of self-medication in the sample, which together point to the need for attention on the part of mental health professionals to this specific group.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


2021 ◽  
pp. 030573562098860
Author(s):  
Anna Wiedemann ◽  
Daniel Vogel ◽  
Catharina Voss ◽  
Jana Hoyer

Music performance anxiety (MPA) is considered a social anxiety disorder (SAD). Recent conceptualizations, however, challenge existing MPA definitions, distinguishing MPA from SAD. In this study, we aim to provide a systematic analysis of MPA interdependencies to other anxiety disorders through graphical modeling and cluster analysis. Participants were 82 music students ( Mage = 23.5 years, SD = 3.4 years; 69.5% women) with the majority being vocal (30.5%), string (24.4%), or piano (19.5%) students. MPA was measured using the German version of the Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (K-MPAI). All participants were tested for anxiety-related symptoms using the disorder-specific anxiety measures of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed., DSM-5), including agoraphobia (AG), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder (PD), separation anxiety disorder (SEP), specific phobia (SP), SAD, and illness anxiety disorder (ILL). We found no evidence of MPA being primarily connected to SAD, finding GAD acted as a full mediator between MPA and any other anxiety type. Our graphical model remained unchanged considering severe cases of MPA only (K-MPAI ⩾ 105). By means of cluster analysis, we identified two participant sub-groups of differing anxiety profiles. Participants with pathological anxiety consistently showed more severe MPA. Our findings suggest that GAD is the strongest predictor for MPA among all major DSM-5 anxiety types.


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