Gender Differences in Children’s Experience of Musical performance Anxiety

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine musical performance anxiety in children, with a focus on potential gender differences. Twenty-six sixth-grade students performing in a piano recital were monitored continuously on measures of heart rate and behaviour. Participants were interviewed in the months prior to the recital and they completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children immediately after performing. It was found that girls’ heart rates rose through each recital stage (before playing and during playing). Boys’ heart rates rose minimally prior to performing but exceeded the girls’ while performing. Significantly more anxious behaviours were displayed by boys both prior to and while performing. Three sets of correlation and regression analyses (all children, girls-only, boys-only) were run on all anxiety measures. Several significant relationships in the ‘all children’ group seemed to be driven by a strong relationship in a single gender that was not apparent in the other gender.