Anticipation of Performance among Musicians: Physiological Arousal, Confidence, and State-Anxiety

Abstract

Physiological responses (heart rate and blood pressure) and self-report measures of state-anxiety and confidence were obtained in 22 student musicians during a baseline-laboratory session and before a jury. All participants exhibited increased heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and self-reported anxiety from the laboratory to the jury. Males exhibited higher systolic blood pressure increases prior to the jury compared to females, but females exhibited higher self-reported anxiety than males. Additionally, females reported increased confidence prior to the jury and males did not. Individuals with higher heart rate increases before the jury reported less confidence and somewhat higher self-reported anxiety.