A Pilot Study Evaluating the Physiological Parameters of Performance-Induced Stress in Undergraduate Music Students

Abstract

Music performance anxiety (MPA) is a specific condition for musicians. Although it can have a negative influence on their music careers, little attention is paid to this phenomenon both in the professional environment and in stress research. In the current pilot study, insight was gained into the physiology of the autonomic stress response related to anxiety in musicians when performing on stage by using a wearable biosensor patch for registration of a range of physiological parameters. Also, the validity of two different psychometric questionnaires in objectifying the stress response on stage to predict the individual stress response was explored. The autonomic physiological parameters (heart rate, respiratory rate, skin temperature) of 11 violists and violinists were collected while performing on stage and in resting state using the VitalConnect HealthPatch®. In addition, scores on validated questionnaires in research on MPA (State Anxiety Inventory, Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory, Short Form Health Survey) were collected in order to try to objectify the magnitude of the subjective level of both MPA and experienced stress. The registration of the autonomic parameters showed a significant increase in heart rate, respiratory rate, and stress level from resting state measurements during stage performance. Analysis of heart rate variability showed a shift from indices of parasympathetic nervous system activity during baseline measurements towards indices of sympathetic nervous system activity during stress measurements. Surprisingly, none of the questionnaires was correlated to the physiological stress parameters on stage. In conclusion, the wearable biosensor patch proved to be an adequate tool to assess physiological stress parameters on stage. The different questionnaires did not contribute to the prediction of its occurrence in a group of musicians.

The phantoms of the opera—Stress offstage and stress onstage

“…This could be explained by the low power of our analysis, but also by the fact that the Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory was not validated for opera singers (Chang-Arana et al, 2018). The lack of significant correlations between the other measures of HRV and music performance anxiety is consistent with previous research reporting no such associations (van Fenema et al, 2017). This calls into question whether the Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory captures how instrumentalists and singers deal with stress onstage.…”

“A Bed of Nails”: Professional Musicians’ Accounts of the Experience of Performance Anxiety From a Phenomenological Perspective

“…Khalsa and Cope, 2006 ; Khalsa et al, 2009 ; Stern et al, 2012 ; Wells et al, 2012 ; Bissonnette et al, 2015 ; Spahn et al, 2016 ; Juncos et al, 2017 ) and psychometric testing (e.g., Steptoe and Fidler, 1987 ; Kenny et al, 2014 ; Medeiros Barbar et al, 2014 ; Nielsen et al, 2018 ). Physiological measurements of MPA (e.g., Abel and Larkin, 1990 ; Brotons, 1994 ; Yoshie et al, 2009 ; Wells et al, 2012 ; Kenny et al, 2013 ; Studer et al, 2014 ; van Fenema et al, 2017 ; Gomez et al, 2018 ) have also been used as indicators of physiological arousal resulting from activation of the sympathetic division of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), for example heart rate, skin conductance, blood pressure, hormone levels, muscle tension and respiration ( Studer et al, 2014 ).…”

The Effects of Visual Displays in Attenuating Discrepancies Between Self-Reported and Physiological Indexes of Stress

“…Participants were randomly assigned to two seating conditions: visible BIOPAC machine condition (able to observe their physiological outputs in real time throughout the study) or nonvisible BIOPAC condition (machine was out of view of the participant for the entire study) (see Figures 1A and 1B 2 Past research has found no significant physiological arousal or response elicited during completion of baseline questionnaires (van Fenema, Gal, van de Griend, Jacobs, & Cohen, 2017). As result, pretest questionnaires were completed during the baseline phase of the physiological data recording.…”

“…2Past research has found no significant physiological arousal or response elicited during completion of baseline questionnaires (van Fenema, Gal, van de Griend, Jacobs, & Cohen, 2017). As result, pretest questionnaires were completed during the baseline phase of the physiological data recording.…”