Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory: Seven or eleven categories of response? Some empirical evidence

Abstract

The objective of this work was to propose an adaptation of the Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (KMPAI) scale for the assessment of musical performance anxiety that offers better psychometric indices (such as reliability and sensitivity) than the original scale, and that is more in line with our cognitive/cultural context. The instrument has been presented to 134 musicians in two forms: (a) the original questionnaire (with 7 response options) and (b) another with an extended response scale (with 11 anchor points). The results suggest that the adapted form (KMPAI-ERE) improves its psychometric and discriminative properties compared to the original form, and is proposed as valid for the assessment of performance anxiety. It was concluded that this form of the questionnaire can be proposed as an alternative to the original form in future research, as it allows for more precise responses in its scope.