ABSTRACT ARTICLE REVIEW

CONTROLLING PERFORMANCE ANXIETY

Robert M. Nideffer and Nancy D. Hessler

Eastman School of Music

Source:
Nideffer, R., & Hessler, N. (1978). Controlling Performance Anxiety. College Music
Symposium, 18(1), 146-153. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40373929

Performance Anxiety is the persistent fear of developing a high-level professional activity,

which can manifest in diverse circumstances, such as juries, recitals, and others. The author

describes three different factors that can generate high levels of anxiety, such as the type

of audience, the personal impact of the performance, and the amount of importance the

musician places on music. A proper research in this area helped the authors to describe the

problem and to execute different types of experimentation with the EASTMAN music

students, creating self-control procedures, different biofeedback, and Autogenic Training

and Progressive Relaxation (ATPR). Also, the execution of Tests of Attentional and

Interpersonal Styles (TAIS) contributed to prevent low quality performances and possible

anxiety triggers. Among these methods, Pre-testing also helped to create proper

communication between students and faculty by the use of feedback. In addition, an

experimental program developed by Dr. Richard Wolfe helped students to evaluate muscle-

tension levels, and how those can be related with performance anxiety. Students spent

fifteen minutes to lower the tension rates obtained from the machines. The results revealed

that the students were able to control their anxiety levels. In addition, another program

created alongside Dr. Wolfe’s work was a comparative research developed in two
programs, each one suitable for different profiles such as oral presentations, athletic

performances, transportation tasks, among others. This research used breathing exercises

to treat fictional fear scenarios obtained from tapes. The researchers concluded that despite

the fact that individuals can have different experiences and results, they were able to

recognize and treat performance anxiety.