A preliminary examination of the roles of perceived control, cortisol and perceptions of anxiety in music performance

Interpretation of anxiety as facilitative or debilitative may have a greater influence on a musician's performance than the intensity of performance anxiety experienced. This preliminary study investigated the relationships between perceived control, a physiological index of control (cortisol), and perceptions of anxiety in music performance. Thirty-five undergraduate music students (10 male, 25 female) provided measures of salivary cortisol and completed the Performance Anxiety Questionnaire (PAQ) and a modified version of the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory (CSAI-M) immediately following a short performance examination. The Anxiety Control Questionnaire (ACQ) and a baseline measure of cortisol were completed on a separate occasion. Musicians appear to experience high levels of anxiety and tend to interpret their anxiety in a debilitative direction. Perceived control over internal reactions correlated significantly with somatic anxiety direction and with somatic and cognitive anxiety intensity, which suggests that musicians are more concerned with controlling their internal physical state rather than the outside environment. No other correlations were observed, and implications for treatment are discussed.