the relationship between music performance anxiety, age, self-esteem, and performance outcomes ...

131 Pages·2014·0.39 MB·English

Durham E-Theses
The Relationship Between Music Performance Anxiety,
Age, Self-Esteem, and Performance Outcomes in Hong
Kong Music Students
CHAN, MEI-YUK
How to cite:
CHAN, MEI-YUK (2011) The Relationship Between Music Performance Anxiety, Age, Self-Esteem, and
Performance Outcomes in Hong Kong Music Students, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at
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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MUSIC PERFORMANCE ANXIETY, AGE,
SELF-ESTEEM, AND PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES IN
HONG KONG MUSIC STUDENTS
Meiyuk Joanna Chan

Abstract
Existing studies suggest that music performance anxiety can undermine the
quality of performances regardless of performers’ ages. However, most of the
studies have focused on professional musicians. It is crucial to know when
music performance anxiety occurs in order to minimize its effects on young
musicians including the ongoing psychological damage done to them.
The present study is intended to investigate: 1) whether there was support
for the claim that music performance anxiety has an early onset in young
children; 2) to what extent music performance anxiety is associated with
self-esteem; 3) whether there is support for the claim that performance
outcomes are affected by one’s anxiety levels.

The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC) by Spielberger (1973)
and the Self-Esteem Scale (SES) by Rosenburg (1965) were the major
psychometric measures. A researcher-designed questionnaire was also used
to collect participants’ demographic data and their experiences as well as the
ways they coped with music performance anxiety. They were asked to identify
their feelings based on the items adapted from the Music Performance Anxiety
Inventory for Adolescents or MPAI-A (Osborne and Kenny, 2005). One hundred
and seventy-four participants aged from 7 to 18 participated in the present study.

Findings of the present study suggest that age is significantly related to
participants’ pre-SAS and the number of symptoms. In addition, MPA was
found to be more prevalent in older age ranges but no significant differences
were found between different age groups. In addition, evidence from the
current study supported the claim that self-esteem is negatively correlated with
MPA. It was also revealed that no relation was found between one’s music
performance anxiety and the quality of music one played. However,
participants’ anticipated outcomes of their quality of performance may be related
to music performance anxiety. Findings from the study are discussed in terms
of their relevance to the Hong Kong context and their implications for practice.
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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
MUSIC PERFORMANCE ANXIETY,
AGE, SELF-ESTEEM, AND
PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES IN
HONG KONG MUSIC STUDENTS

Meiyuk Joanna Chan

A DOCTORAL THESIS

in

Education

Presented to the Faculties of the Durham University in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of Doctor in Education

2011
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Table of Contents

Abstract …………………………………………………………………….……… p.1
Title Page ……………………………………………………………….....……… p.2
Table of Contents ………………………………………………………….……... p.3
List of Abbreviations ………………………………………………………….….. p.5
Declaration ……………………………………………………………………..…. p.6
Statement of Copyright …………………………………………………….……. p.7
Acknowledgements ……………………………………………………..……….. p.8
Chapter One: Introduction
1.1 Background ………………………………………………………….…. p.9
1.2 Self-Esteem and Music Performance Anxiety …………….…….….. p.45
1.3 Music Performance Anxiety and Performing Outcomes ……….….. p.52
1.4 Treatment of Music Performance Anxiety …………………..…...….. p.57
1.5 Music Performance Anxiety and Cultural Differences …….....….…. p.69
Chapter Two: Methodology
2.1 Psychological Measures …………………………………………..…. p.63
2.2 Music Performance Measurement ………………………………..… p.65
2.3 Research Questions …………………………………………….….… p.67
2.4 Research Method ……………………………………………….…..... p.71
Chapter Three: Results ………………………………………………………... p.77
Chapter Four: Discussion
4.1 Music Performance Anxiety and Age ………………………………. p.89
4.2 Music Performance Anxiety and Self-Esteem …………………..… p.92
4.3 Music Performance Anxiety and Performance Outcomes …….… p.95
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4.4 Limitation ………………………………………………………….. p.101
Chapter Five: Implications
5.1 Implications for Practice.……………………..…………....….…. p. 104
5.2 Implications for Policy …………………………………….……... p. 109
Chapter Six: Conclusion ……………………………………………….….. p.113
Reference ………………………………………………………….……….. p. 115
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List of Abbreviations

MPA Music Performance Anxiety
PostSAS Post-Test State Anxiety Scores
PreSAS Pre-Test State Anxiety Scores
SES Self-Esteem Scale
STAIC State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children

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Declaration

This thesis has been composed by me, alone and it has not been accepted
in any previous application for a degree in this or any other institution. The
work has been done by me solely. All quotations have been distinguished by
quotation marks and the sources of information specifically acknowledged.
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Statement of Copyright

The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it
should be published without the prior written consent and information derived
from it should be acknowledged.
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Acknowledgements

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Richard Remedios, for his
encouragement and intellectual input during the entire course of this thesis. I
would also like to express my appreciation to Professor Joe Elliott for his
valuable advice that he provided me over the entire course of this thesis.
Without their efforts, this work would not have been possible.
In addition, I would like to thank my committee members Professor Susan
Hallam and Professor Mike Fleming for their support and advice.
Furthermore, I would like to thank Mr Brad Mellen for his assistance in
improving the linguistic quality of this thesis.
Finally, I wish to thank my family and friends who have always been a
constant source of inspiration to me.
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