Imagery and Music Performance Anxiety in Elite Musicians

Abstract

Many musicians experience music performance anxiety (MPA) regardless of their level of expertise (Fernholz et al., 2019) and based on the level of distress and impairment it causes, MPA can be diagnosed as performance-only social anxiety disorder (SAD) (American Psychiatric Association, 2022). However, important phenomena theorized to fuel social anxiety, such as negative spontaneous self-imagery (NSI), have not been studied in musicians or integrated into existing MPA theory which might limit our conceptualization and treatment of this concern. Due to the distress and impairment associated with MPA, different treatments have been developed, many of which integrate intentional mental imagery manipulation to ameliorate anxiety (e.g., relaxation imagery). However, it is difficult to draw a clear picture regarding whether certain approaches (e.g., relaxation imagery) are more helpful than others due to methodological limitations of existing imagery-based MPA intervention research. Importantly, little is known about how musicians engage in mental imagery to manage MPA independent of existing intervention research, which could guide future imagery-based MPA research (e.g., examination of commonly used approaches). Thus, we conducted a series of studies to extend our understanding of musicians’ experiences along the imagery continuum (i.e., spontaneously experienced to intentionally generated) as they relate to MPA to inform future MPA theory, research, and treatment. In Chapter 1, we followed elite musicians (N = 40) for 7 days leading up to an important anxiety-provoking performance of their choice. After completing an initial battery of questionnaires including a measure of trait MPA, musicians completed nightly measures of NSI and state MPA. We theorized that similar to those with SAD, musicians would experience NSI related to musical performances, and that this phenomenon would be positively associated with the intensity with which musicians experience trait and state MPA. Consistent with our predictions, we found that NSI was highly prevalent amongst elite musicians. At the between-person level, musicians who experienced more frequent NSI also had higher trait MPA and state MPA intensity. Multi-level analyses further allowed us to explore the association between NSI and state MPA intensity at the within-person level amongst those who experienced NSI, and we found that state MPA intensity was significantly higher on days where musicians experienced NSI compared to days when they did not. Building on these findings and using the same methodology and participant data, Chapter 2 investigated the association between NSI and additional variables important to the conceptualization of MPA, including state MPA interpretation (i.e., whether musicians interpret anxiety as helpful or harmful to performances) and self-confidence. Contrary to our hypotheses, we did not find an association between NSI and these variables at the between-person level. However, on average within-person, we found that self-confidence was significantly lower on days where musicians experienced NSI than on days when they did not, although a similar association did not emerge between NSI and state MPA interpretation. Taken together, Chapters 1 and 2 indicate that cognitive theoretical models of SAD may be more applicable to MPA than previously thought (Osborne & Franklin, 2002), as an important phenomenon theorized to fuel social anxiety is associated with increased state MPA intensity and decreased self-confidence in anticipation of important anxiety-provoking performances. Further, similar to those with other forms of social anxiety, musicians experiencing MPA may benefit from imagery-enhanced cognitive behavioural therapy for SAD which specifically targets NSI to ameliorate anxiety. In Chapter 3, we turned our attention to the use of intentionally generated imagery to manage MPA. To lay important groundwork for future research, Chapter 3 investigated how elite musicians (N = 25) employ mental imagery to manage MPA, and whether they experience difficulty controlling such imagery through a semi-structured interview and Likert-style rating scales. Thematic analysis revealed that musicians engage in a variety of imagery approaches (e.g., mental rehearsal, relaxation) to manage MPA, several of which are similar to approaches in existing intervention research. Although musicians reported a high degree of overall control of intentionally generated imagery to manage MPA, themes emerged regarding difficulties which musicians experience controlling such imagery. Thus, our findings have implications for future MPA research, as well as clinical implications regarding the use of mental imagery to manage MPA. We conclude with a summary of our results, provide an overview of clinical implications of our novel findings, outline limitations of our program of research, and suggest directions for future research in this important area.