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Herman R, Clark T. It's not a virus! Reconceptualizing and de-pathologizing music performance anxiety. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1194873. [PMID: 38022988 PMCID: PMC10667921 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1194873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) is one of the most widespread and debilitating challenges facing musicians, affecting significant numbers of performers in terms of both their personal and professional functioning. Although numerous interventions exist to target MPA, its prevalence remains unchanged since the first large-scale studies of the 1980s, indicating that available interventions are having limited impact. This review synthesizes and critiques existing literature in order to investigate possible reasons for the limited efficacy of current approaches to managing MPA. Key concepts discussed include conceptual and methodological challenges surrounding defining MPA, theoretical perspectives on MPA's etiology and manifestation, and the coping strategies and interventions used to manage MPA. MPA has predominantly been investigated pathologically and defined as a negative construct manifesting in unwanted symptoms. Based on this conceptualization, interventions largely seek to manage MPA through ameliorating symptoms. This review discusses possible reasons why this approach has broadly not proved successful, including the issue of relaxation being both unrealistic and counterproductive for peak performance, issues associated with intentionally changing one's state creating resistance thus exacerbating anxiety, and focusing on the presence of, rather than response to, symptoms. Despite 50 years of research, MPA remains an unsolved enigma and continues to adversely impact musicians both on and off the stage. Reconceptualizing MPA as a normal and adaptive response to the pressures of performance may offer a new perspective on it, in terms of its definition, assessment and management, with practical as well as theoretical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Herman
- Centre for Performance Science, Royal College of Music, London, United Kingdom
| | - Terry Clark
- Mount Royal Conservatory, Calgary, AB, Canada
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2
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Candia V, Kusserow M, Margulies O, Hildebrandt H. Repeated stage exposure reduces music performance anxiety. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1146405. [PMID: 37020906 PMCID: PMC10067860 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1146405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background High heart rate (HR) and restlessness are two important features of music performance anxiety (MPA). In a case report of a cellist suffering from this condition, we showed that HR and restlessness decreased after repeated live performances of the same musical excerpt, thereby positively modulating objective performance criteria and subjective components. Here, we largely replicate these results in a group of 18 string players reporting MPA. Methods Objective measurement devices included a miniaturized electrocardiogram monitor and three 3-axis accelerometer loggers. Subjective measures included the Multidimensional Mental Health Questionnaire (MDBF) and a customized visual analogue scale (VAS) questionnaire for MPA. Non-artistic performance errors were assessed by music experts using a composite score for technical playing errors (i.e., intonation errors, omission of notes, and bowing noise). Data were collected from each study participant during three brief public solo performances of the same musical excerpt, with each performance occurring before a new audience on the same day. Results From the 1st to the 3rd performance, HR, VAS, and playing error scores decreased significantly. MDBF (RU scale) showed a significant increase in calmness from the 1st to the 3rd performance on stage. HR and RU, VAS, and RU, as well as bow acceleration and overall duration of playing correlated significantly across participants and performances. Discussion and conclusion We conclude that repeated stage exposure significantly reduces HR as well as restlessness and playing errors linked to MPA. Public performances are still successful when HR is significantly higher than during rest periods. These results underscore the importance of stage training to become accustomed to realistic public self-exposure. Musicians - especially students - should consider this component of stage training as an integral part of their practice routine. Therefore, stage training can reduce MPA, promote better live performances and prevent stress-related mental disorders and physical injuries. These result from excessive self-exercise strategies common in musicians experiencing MPA. HR monitoring should be an integral part of evaluating the effectiveness of interventions for better MPA management and efficient performance training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Candia
- Department of Music, Institute for Music Research (IMR), Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), Zürich, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Victor Candia,
| | - Martin Kusserow
- Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Wearable Computing Lab ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Oliver Margulies
- Department of Music, Institute for Music Research (IMR), Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Horst Hildebrandt
- Department of Music, Institute for Music Research (IMR), Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), Zürich, Switzerland
- Swiss University Center for Music Physiology, Basel University of the Arts, Basel, Switzerland
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3
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Sokoli E, Hildebrandt H, Gomez P. Classical Music Students’ Pre-performance Anxiety, Catastrophizing, and Bodily Complaints Vary by Age, Gender, and Instrument and Predict Self-Rated Performance Quality. Front Psychol 2022; 13:905680. [PMID: 35814093 PMCID: PMC9263585 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.905680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Music performance anxiety (MPA) is a multifaceted phenomenon occurring on a continuum of severity. In this survey study, we investigated to what extent the affective (anxiety), cognitive (catastrophizing), and somatic (bodily complaints) components of MPA prior to solo performances vary as a function of age, gender, instrument group, musical experience, and practice as well as how these MPA components relate to self-rated change in performance quality from practice to public performance. The sample comprised 75 male and 111 female classical music university students, aged 15–45 years. Age was positively associated with anxious feelings and bodily complaints. Compared to male students, female students reported significantly more anxious feelings and catastrophizing. Singers reported less anxious feelings and catastrophizing than instrumentalists. Breathing-, mouth- and throat-related complaints were highest among singers and wind players; hand- and arm-related complaints were highest among string players and pianists. The indices of musical experience and practice had marginal effects. An average of four bodily complaints bothered the participants strongly to very strongly. Worsening in performance quality from practice to public performance was reported by almost half of the participants and was best predicted by anxious feelings and breathing-related complaints. We conclude that age, gender and instrument play a significant role in understanding the phenomenology of MPA. Musicians should be examined according to these characteristics rather than as one homogenous population. In particular, it might be valuable to develop assessment tools for MPA that incorporate items related to the bodily complaints that are most relevant to the different instrument groups. Breathing-related complaints could add an important dimension to the investigation of MPA and music performance. Finally, the high percentage of students reporting worsening of their performance quality from practice to public performance highlights the need of professional support to help music students be able to perform at their best and thrive as artists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erinë Sokoli
- Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Horst Hildebrandt
- Swiss University Centre for Music Physiology, Zurich University of the Arts, Zurich, Switzerland
- Swiss University Centre for Music Physiology, Basel University of the Arts, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Gomez
- Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Patrick Gomez,
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4
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Yao Z, Li Y. Preliminary Assessment of Individual Zone of Optimal Functioning Model Applied to Music Performance Anxiety in College Piano Majors. Front Psychol 2022; 13:764147. [PMID: 35465579 PMCID: PMC9021823 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.764147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual zone of optimal functioning (IZOF) is a psychological model studied and applied to quantify athletes’ anxiety and predicts their achievement in sports competitions. This study aimed to determine the application of the IZOF model to evaluate music performance anxiety (MPA) in pianists because the causes of anxiety in athletes and musicians may be similar. A total of 30 college-level piano-major students were included in the study, and the anxiety level in performance was scored by the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 questionnaire. In the first phase, participants recalled and self-scored the four important performances in the past year. Notably, seven piano teachers scored the performances. Both results were combined to identify the individual IZOF zone. Each student showed different anxiety scores for cognitive state anxiety (CA), somatic state anxiety (SA), and self-confidence (SC). In the second phase, all participants scored their anxiety level 1 day before the final performance, and the same judges evaluated the performance immediately afterward. A total of 60% of the participants who had at least two subscales inside the IZOF received performance scores greater than 90. In conclusion, the IZOF model provides information for both piano teachers and pianists to help review their anxiety intensity and predict their performance scores to some extent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zijin Yao
- School of Arts, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, China
| | - Yue Li
- Department of Music, Beijing Institute of Education, Beijing, China
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5
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Abstract
Breathing is a critical, complex, and highly integrated behavior. Normal rhythmic breathing, also referred to as eupnea, is interspersed with different breathing related behaviors. Sighing is one of such behaviors, essential for maintaining effective gas exchange by preventing the gradual collapse of alveoli in the lungs, known as atelectasis. Critical for the generation of both sighing and eupneic breathing is a region of the medulla known as the preBötzinger Complex (preBötC). Efforts are underway to identify the cellular pathways that link sighing as well as sneezing, yawning, and hiccupping with other brain regions to better understand how they are integrated and regulated in the context of other behaviors including chemosensation, olfaction, and cognition. Unraveling these interactions may provide important insights into the diverse roles of these behaviors in the initiation of arousal, stimulation of vigilance, and the relay of certain behavioral states. This chapter focuses primarily on the function of the sigh, how it is locally generated within the preBötC, and what the functional implications are for a potential link between sighing and cognitive regulation. Furthermore, we discuss recent insights gained into the pathways and mechanisms that control yawning, sneezing, and hiccupping.
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6
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Huang Y, Zhang H, Fan Y, Ji M, Wang L, Ai T. Sigh syndrome during the COVID-19 pandemic: Is it a signal of the mental health status of Chinese children and adolescents? Transl Pediatr 2021; 10:415-422. [PMID: 33708528 PMCID: PMC7944169 DOI: 10.21037/tp-21-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese children and adolescents have been greatly affected by the strict social isolation policies, which will undoubtedly cause psychological problems. We aimed to investigate the mental health status of Chinese children and adolescents, and provided some considerations of the contributing factors and the coping strategy. METHOD We investigated the disease composition ratio of sigh syndrome in the pediatric outpatient clinic in Chengdu after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and outbreak mitigation. We also analyzed and compared the annual changing trends in the incidence of sigh syndrome in 2020 with those from previous years. RESULTS The composition ratio of sigh syndrome increased significantly after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. The highest incidence was in March 2020, which then decreased gradually over the next few months, then increased again in June 2020 (P<0.05). And the 4-7 years old was the age group with a high incidence of sigh syndrome, and 5 years old had the highest incidence. CONCLUSIONS The mental health status of children and adolescents changed significantly after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. We should also pay attention to the psychological problems caused by returning to school after the epidemic has eased.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijie Huang
- Children Respiratory Department, Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Huiyun Zhang
- Children Neurology Department, Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Yinghong Fan
- Children Respiratory Department, Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | | | - Li Wang
- Children Respiratory Department, Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Tao Ai
- Children Respiratory Department, Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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7
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Papageorgi I, Welch GF. "A Bed of Nails": Professional Musicians' Accounts of the Experience of Performance Anxiety From a Phenomenological Perspective. Front Psychol 2020; 11:605422. [PMID: 33262735 PMCID: PMC7688451 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.605422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Most investigations of musical performance anxiety have employed quantitative methodologies. Whereas such methodologies can provide useful insights into the measurable aspects of the experience in a larger group of participants, the complexity, subtlety and individuality of the emotional experience and the importance of the individual’s interpretation of it are often overlooked. This study employed a phenomenological approach to investigate the lived, subjective experience of performance anxiety, as described in professional musicians’ narratives. Semi-structured interviews with four professional musicians (two males, two females) specializing in Western classical and jazz music genres were conducted and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The analysis revealed the presence of four overarching themes: (1) Intensity of performance anxiety experience, (2) perceived effects, (3) development of coping strategies, and (4) achieving release from anxiety. Findings suggest that the lived experience of performance anxiety is multifaceted, characterized by a physical and a psychological dimension. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis is a useful research tool that can facilitate our understanding of the subjective experience of performance anxiety (how it is felt and understood at an individual level) and can thus be useful in the development of tailor-made intervention programs for musicians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioulia Papageorgi
- Department of Social Sciences, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Graham F Welch
- Department of Culture, Communication and Media, Institute of Education, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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8
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Haccoun YEY, Hildebrandt H, Klumb PL, Nater UM, Gomez P. Positive and Negative Post Performance-Related Thoughts Predict Daily Cortisol Output in University Music Students. Front Psychol 2020; 11:585875. [PMID: 33281682 PMCID: PMC7691223 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.585875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychophysiological research on music performance has focused on musicians' short-term affective, cognitive, and physiological responses. Much less attention has been devoted to the investigation of musicians' psychophysiological activity beyond the performance situation. Musicians report having both positive and negative performance-related thoughts (e.g., "My concert was good" and "I made a lot of mistakes") for days following performances. The potential physiological implications of this post-performance cognitive processing are largely unknown. Salivary cortisol (sC) and salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) are markers of the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathoadrenal medullary (SAM) system, respectively. The goal of the present study was to investigate whether self-reported positive and negative post performance-related thoughts predict the daily sC output and the daily sAA activity at the between- and within-person levels during a 2-day period following a solo music performance. Seventy-two university music students collected saliva samples six times per day and reported their positive and negative performance-related thoughts for 2 days after a solo performance. We tested between-person and within-person components of positive and negative post performance-related thoughts as predictors of the diurnal area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCg) for sC and sAA while adjusting for relevant person-level and day-level variables. Negative post performance-related thoughts were positively associated with sC AUCg both at the between- and within-person levels, whereas positive post performance-related thoughts were negatively associated with sC AUCg at the between-person level. Post performance-related thoughts did not significantly predict sAA AUCg. These findings provide evidence for a relationship between affectively valenced cognitive processing of a recent music performance and the activity of the HPA axis. Although the directionality of this relationship remains to be established more conclusively, the study makes a significant contribution to the literature on the prolonged psychophysiological effects of music performance situations and more broadly of social-evaluative stressors. Integrating the topic of post-performance cognitive processing and its optimal management into performance training programs would likely have positive effects on music students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoav E Y Haccoun
- Center for Primary Care and Public Health, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Horst Hildebrandt
- Swiss University Centre for Music Physiology, Zurich University of the Arts, Zurich, Switzerland.,Swiss University Centre for Music Physiology, Basel University of the Arts, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Petra L Klumb
- Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Urs M Nater
- Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Patrick Gomez
- Center for Primary Care and Public Health, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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9
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Music performance anxiety from the challenge and threat perspective: psychophysiological and performance outcomes. BMC Psychol 2020; 8:87. [PMID: 32843074 PMCID: PMC7448432 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-020-00448-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although many musicians perceive music performance anxiety (MPA) as a significant problem, studies about the psychobiological and performance-related concomitants of MPA are limited. Using the biopsychosocial model of challenge and threat as theoretical framework, we aim to investigate whether musicians’ changes in their psychobiological responses and performance quality from a private to a public performance are moderated by their general MPA level. According to the challenge and threat framework, individuals are in a threat state when the perceived demands of a performance situation outweigh the perceived resources, whereas they are in a challenge state when the perceived resources outweigh the perceived demands. The resources-demands differential (resources minus demands) and the cardiovascular challenge-threat index (sum of cardiac output and reverse scored total peripheral resistance) are the main indices of these states. We postulate that the relationship between general MPA level and performance quality is mediated by these challenge and threat measures. Methods We will test 100 university music students reporting general MPA levels ranging from low to high. They will perform privately (i.e., without audience) and publicly (i.e., with an audience) on two separate days in counterbalanced order. During each performance session, we will record their cardiovascular and respiratory activity and collect saliva samples and self-reported measures. Measures of primary interest are self-reported anxiety, the resources-demands differential, the cardiovascular challenge-threat index, sigh rate, total respiratory variability, partial pressure of end-tidal carbon dioxide and the salivary biomarkers cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, and alpha-amylase. Both, the participants and anonymous experts will evaluate the performance quality from audio recordings. Discussion The results of the planned project are expected to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the psychobiology of MPA and of the processes that influence musicians’ individual reactions to performance situations. We also anticipate the findings of this project to have important implications for the development and implementation of theory-based interventions aimed at managing musicians’ anxiety and improving performance quality. Thanks to the use of multimethod approaches incorporating psychobiology, it might be possible to better assess the progress and success of interventions and ultimately improve musicians’ chance to have a successful professional career. Trial registration Not applicable.
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10
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Abstract
Current psychological theories of performance anxiety focus heavily on relating performers' physiological and mental states to their abilities to maintain focus and execute learned skills. How task-specific expertise and past experiences moderate the degree to which individuals become anxious in a given performance context are not well accounted for within these theories. This review considers how individual differences arising from learning may shape the psychobiological, emotional, and cognitive processes that modulate anxious states associated with the performance of highly trained skills. Current approaches to understanding performance anxiety are presented, followed by a critique of these approaches. A connectionist model is proposed as an alternative approach to characterising performance anxiety by viewing performers' anxious states at a specific time point as jointly determined by experience-dependent plasticity, competition between motivational systems, and ongoing cognitive and somatic states. Clarifying how experience-dependent plasticity contributes to the emergence of socio-evaluative anxiety in challenging situations can not only help performers avoid developing maladaptive emotional responses, but may also provide new clues about how memories of past events and imagined future states interact with motivational processes to drive changes in emotional states and cognitive processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Chow
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Eduardo Mercado
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
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11
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Guyon AJAA, Cannavò R, Studer RK, Hildebrandt H, Danuser B, Vlemincx E, Gomez P. Respiratory Variability, Sighing, Anxiety, and Breathing Symptoms in Low- and High-Anxious Music Students Before and After Performing. Front Psychol 2020; 11:303. [PMID: 32174869 PMCID: PMC7054282 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Music performance anxiety (MPA) is a major problem for music students. It is largely unknown whether music students who experience high or low anxiety differ in their respiratory responses to performance situations and whether these co-vary with self-reported anxiety, tension, and breathing symptoms. Affective processes influence dynamic respiratory regulation in ways that are reflected in measures of respiratory variability and sighing. This study had two goals. First, we determined how measures of respiratory variability, sighing, self-reported anxiety, tension, and breathing symptoms vary as a function of the performance situation (practice vs. public performance), performance phase (pre-performance vs. post-performance), and the general MPA level of music students. Second, we analyzed to what extent self-reported anxiety, tension, and breathing symptoms co-vary with the respiratory responses. The participants were 65 university music students. We assessed their anxiety, tension, and breathing symptoms with Likert scales and recorded their respiration with the LifeShirt system during a practice performance and a public performance. For the 10-min periods before and after each performance, we computed number of sighs, coefficients of variation (CVs, a measure of total variability), autocorrelations at one breath lag (ARs(1), a measure of non-random variability) and means of minute ventilation (V’E), tidal volume (VT), inspiration time (TI), and expiration time (TE). CVs and sighing were greater whereas AR(1) of V’E was lower in the public session than in the practice session. The effect of the performance situation on CVs and sighing was larger for high-MPA than for low-MPA participants. Higher MPA levels were associated with lower CVs. At the within-individual level, anxiety, tension, and breathing symptoms were associated with deeper and slower breathing, greater CVs, lower AR(1) of V’E, and more sighing. We conclude that respiratory variability and sighing are sensitive to the performance situation and to musicians’ general MPA level. Moreover, anxiety, tension, breathing symptoms, and respiratory responses co-vary significantly in the context of music performance situations. Respiratory monitoring can add an important dimension to the understanding of music performance situations and MPA and to the diagnostic and intervention outcome assessments of MPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie J A A Guyon
- Center for Primary Care and Public Health, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rosamaria Cannavò
- Center for Primary Care and Public Health, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Regina K Studer
- School of Applied Psychology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Olten, Switzerland
| | - Horst Hildebrandt
- Swiss University Centre for Music Physiology, Basel and Zurich Universities of the Arts, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Brigitta Danuser
- Center for Primary Care and Public Health, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Elke Vlemincx
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick Gomez
- Center for Primary Care and Public Health, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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12
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Araújo LS, Wasley D, Redding E, Atkins L, Perkins R, Ginsborg J, Williamon A. Fit to Perform: A Profile of Higher Education Music Students' Physical Fitness. Front Psychol 2020; 11:298. [PMID: 32210876 PMCID: PMC7066496 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The physical demands of music making are well acknowledged, but understanding of musicians' physical and fitness profiles is nonetheless limited, especially those of advanced music students who are training to enter music's competitive professional landscape. To gain insight into how physical fitness is associated with music making, this study investigated music students' fitness levels on several standardized indicators. Four hundred and eighty three students took part in a fitness screening protocol that included measurements of lung function, flexibility (hypermobility, shoulder range of motion, sit and reach), strength and endurance (hand grip, plank, press-up), and sub-maximal cardiovascular fitness (3-min step test), as well as self-reported physical activity (IPAQ-SF). Participants scored within age-appropriate ranges on lung function, shoulder range of motion, grip strength, and cardiovascular fitness. Their results for the plank, press-up, and sit and reach were poor by comparison. Reported difficulty (22%) and pain (17%) in internal rotation of the right shoulder were also found. Differences between instrument groups and levels of study were observed on some measures. In particular, brass players showed greater lung function and grip strength compared with other groups, and postgraduate students on the whole were able to maintain the plank for longer but also demonstrated higher hypermobility and lower lung function and cardiovascular fitness than undergraduate students. Seventy-nine percent of participants exceeded the minimum recommended weekly amount of physical activity, but this was mostly based on walking activities. Singers were the most physically active group, and keyboard players, composers, and conductors were the least active. IPAQ-SF scores correlated positively with lung function, sit and reach, press-up and cardiovascular fitness suggesting that, in the absence of time and resources to carry out comprehensive physical assessments, this one measure alone can provide useful insight into musicians' fitness. The findings show moderate levels of general health-related fitness, and we discuss whether moderate fitness is enough for people undertaking physically and mentally demanding music making. We argue that musicians could benefit from strengthening their supportive musculature and enhancing their awareness of strength imbalances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliana S Araújo
- Centre for Performance Science, Royal College of Music, London, United Kingdom.,Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.,Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London, United Kingdom
| | - David Wasley
- Cardiff School of Sport, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Redding
- Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London, United Kingdom
| | - Louise Atkins
- Centre for Performance Science, Royal College of Music, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rosie Perkins
- Centre for Performance Science, Royal College of Music, London, United Kingdom.,Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jane Ginsborg
- Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Aaron Williamon
- Centre for Performance Science, Royal College of Music, London, United Kingdom.,Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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13
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Vlemincx E, Luminet O. Sighs can become learned behaviors via operant learning. Biol Psychol 2020; 151:107850. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2020.107850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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14
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Norberg MM, Beath AP, Kerin FJ, Martyn C, Baldwin P, Grisham JR. Trait Versus Task-Induced Emotional Reactivity and Distress Intolerance in Hoarding Disorder: Transdiagnostic Implications. Behav Ther 2020; 51:123-134. [PMID: 32005330 DOI: 10.1016/j.beth.2019.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Evidence from analogue samples suggests that deficits in emotional functioning, namely elevated emotional reactivity and distress intolerance, are implicated in the development and maintenance of hoarding disorder. We aimed to extend previous research in this area by investigating emotional reactivity and distress intolerance in a sample of individuals diagnosed with hoarding disorder (n = 24) in comparison to clinical controls (n = 21) and nonclinical community controls (n = 26) using a combination of self-report, physiological, and behavioral measures. We found that trait distress intolerance was significantly and independently associated with greater hoarding severity. The hoarding and clinical control groups reported more trait emotional reactivity and distress intolerance than the community control group, but did not differ from each other on these traits. The hoarding group reported more subjective distress before beginning a frustrating behavioral task, but did not evidence more physiological arousal. Moreover, the hoarding group experienced similar increases in distress during the task and did not differ from either group in regard to time persisting on this task. The clinical control group, however, terminated the frustrating task significantly faster than the community control group, who tended to persist until the task timed out. Lastly, trait distress intolerance evidenced a small-to-moderate but nonstatistically significant independent relationship with task persistence time. Given the desynchrony between subjective distress and physiological arousal, we encourage researchers to utilize multimodal assessment in the future. We also suggest that clinicians start to use behavioral experiments, as has been done with other psychological disorders, to improve distress intolerance among persons who experience hoarding disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa M Norberg
- Macquarie University; Centre for Emotional Health, Macquarie University.
| | - Alissa P Beath
- Macquarie University; Centre for Emotional Health, Macquarie University
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15
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van Fenema EM, Gal P, van de Griend MV, Jacobs GE, Cohen AF. A Pilot Study Evaluating the Physiological Parameters of Performance-Induced Stress in Undergraduate Music Students. Digit Biomark 2018; 1:118-125. [PMID: 32095753 DOI: 10.1159/000485469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Music performance anxiety (MPA) is a specific condition for musicians. Although it can have a negative influence on their music careers, little attention is paid to this phenomenon both in the professional environment and in stress research. In the current pilot study, insight was gained into the physiology of the autonomic stress response related to anxiety in musicians when performing on stage by using a wearable biosensor patch for registration of a range of physiological parameters. Also, the validity of two different psychometric questionnaires in objectifying the stress response on stage to predict the individual stress response was explored. The autonomic physiological parameters (heart rate, respiratory rate, skin temperature) of 11 violists and violinists were collected while performing on stage and in resting state using the VitalConnect HealthPatch®. In addition, scores on validated questionnaires in research on MPA (State Anxiety Inventory, Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory, Short Form Health Survey) were collected in order to try to objectify the magnitude of the subjective level of both MPA and experienced stress. The registration of the autonomic parameters showed a significant increase in heart rate, respiratory rate, and stress level from resting state measurements during stage performance. Analysis of heart rate variability showed a shift from indices of parasympathetic nervous system activity during baseline measurements towards indices of sympathetic nervous system activity during stress measurements. Surprisingly, none of the questionnaires was correlated to the physiological stress parameters on stage. In conclusion, the wearable biosensor patch proved to be an adequate tool to assess physiological stress parameters on stage. The different questionnaires did not contribute to the prediction of its occurrence in a group of musicians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther M van Fenema
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Pim Gal
- Centre for Human Drug Research, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Maxime V van de Griend
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Centre for Human Drug Research, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Gabriel E Jacobs
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Centre for Human Drug Research, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Adam F Cohen
- Centre for Human Drug Research, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Department of Nephrology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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16
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Vlemincx E, Meulders M, Luminet O. A sigh of relief or a sigh of expected relief: Sigh rate in response to dyspnea relief. Psychophysiology 2017; 55. [PMID: 28792624 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Revised: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Research has suggested that sighs may serve a regulatory function during stress and emotions by facilitating relief. Evidence supports the hypotheses that sighs both express and induce relief from stress. To explore the potential role of sighs in the regulation of symptoms, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between sighs and relief of symptoms, and relief of dyspnea, specifically. Healthy volunteers participated in two studies (N = 44, N = 47) in which dyspnea was induced by mild (10 cmH2 O/l/s) or high (20 cmH2 0/l/s) inspiratory resistances. Dyspnea relief was induced by the offset of the inspiratory resistances (transitions from high and mild inspiratory resistance to no resistance). Control comparisons included dyspnea increases (transitions from no or mild inspiratory resistance to high inspiratory resistance) and dyspnea continuations (continuations of either no resistance or a high resistance). In Experiment 1, dyspnea levels were cued. In Experiment 2, no cues were provided. Sigh rate during dyspnea relief was significantly higher compared to control conditions, and sigh rate increased as self-reported dyspnea decreased. Additionally, sigh rate was higher during cued dyspnea relief compared to noncued dyspnea relief. These results suggest that sighs are important markers of dyspnea relief. Moreover, sighs may importantly express dyspnea relief, as they are related to experiential dyspnea decreases and occur more frequently during expected dyspnea relief. These findings suggest that sighs may not only be important in the regulation of stress and emotions, but also may be functional in the regulation of dyspnea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elke Vlemincx
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.,Research Group on Health Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Michel Meulders
- Department of Informatics, Simulation and Modeling, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Research Group on Quantitative Psychology and Individual Differences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Olivier Luminet
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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17
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Vlemincx E, Meulders M, Abelson JL. Sigh rate during emotional transitions: More evidence for a sigh of relief. Biol Psychol 2017; 125:163-172. [PMID: 28315375 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2017.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Revised: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Evidence suggests that sighs regulate stress and emotions, e.g. by facilitating relief. This study aimed to investigate sigh rates during relief. In addition, links between sighs, anxiety sensitivity and HPA-axis activity were explored. Healthy volunteers (N=29) were presented cues predicting the valence of subsequent stimuli. By sequencing cues that predicted pleasant or unpleasant stimuli with or without certainty, transitions to certain pleasantness (relief) or to certain unpleasantness (control) were created and compared to no transitions. Salivary cortisol, anxiety sensitivity and respiration were measured. Sigh frequency was significantly higher during relief than during control transitions and no transition states, and higher during control transitions than during no transition states. Sigh frequency increased with steeper cortisol declines for high anxiety sensitive persons. Results confirm a relationship between sighs and relief. In addition, results suggest that sigh frequency is importantly related to HPA-axis activity, particularly in high anxiety sensitive persons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elke Vlemincx
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; Research Group on Health Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Michel Meulders
- Department of Informatics, Simulation and Modeling, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Research Group on Quantitative Psychology and Individual Differences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - James L Abelson
- Trauma, Stress and Anxiety Research Group, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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18
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A sigh of relief or a sigh to relieve: The psychological and physiological relief effect of deep breaths. Physiol Behav 2016; 165:127-35. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Revised: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 07/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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19
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Araújo AHD, Borloti E, Haydu VB. Ansiedade em Provas: um Estudo na Obtenção da Licença para Dirigir. PSICOLOGIA: CIÊNCIA E PROFISSÃO 2016. [DOI: 10.1590/1982-3703000592014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Resumo Situações de avaliação geram ansiedade e dentre elas está a prova prática de direção para a obtenção da licença para dirigir, essa ansiedade pode perturbar o desempenho e impedir a obtenção da habilitação. O presente estudo visou analisar: (a) a fundamentação teórica que embasa a intervenção terapêutica em casos de ansiedade em avaliações e provas; e (b) o processo terapêutico de uma cliente que procurou terapia comportamental após tentativas fracassadas na obtenção da licença para dirigir. A relevância da análise funcional da ansiedade e dos repertórios de enfrentamento da ansiedade foi considerada. Em seguida, um estudo de caso foi relatado: uma paciente com um histórico de seis reprovações no teste prático para a obtenção da licença para dirigir e níveis altos de ansiedade. Esse estudo demonstrou que um preparo apropriado e a intervenção terapêutica contribuíram para reduzir a ansiedade e promover a condição necessária para a obtenção da licença para dirigir. Estudos adicionais deverão ser realizados de modo a se obter uma melhor compreensão da relação entre a ansiedade e o desempenho, especialmente no que diz respeito ao processo de obtenção de uma licença para dirigir.
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20
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Spahn C. Treatment and prevention of music performance anxiety. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2015; 217:129-40. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2014.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
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