Relationships Among Meditation, Perfectionism, Mindfulness, and Performance Anxiety Among Collegiate Music Students
Journal of Research in Music Education July 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1177/0022429418765447 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 255 |
| Population | Collegiate-level musicians |
| Intervention | Meditation |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | Among 255 collegiate musicians, roughly 48% had meditated in the past 6 months, and those who meditated at least weekly tended to report less music performance anxiety when trait mindfulness and perfectionism were held constant. Higher trait mindfulness predicted lower performance anxiety, while higher self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism predicted higher music performance anxiety. The type of meditation practiced did not appear to significantly affect performance anxiety. |
Abstract
I examined the use of meditation practices among collegiate-level musicians ( N = 255), along with the degree to which these practices contributed to music performance anxiety (MPA) when controlling for trait perfectionism and trait mindfulness. Findings indicated that approximately 48% of the participants sampled had engaged in meditation during the past 6 months and that, holding mindfulness and perfectionist traits constant, participants who meditated at least weekly tended to report less MPA. Additionally, higher trait mindfulness predicted lower performance anxiety, whereas higher self-oriented as well as socially prescribed perfectionism predicted higher MPA scores. The type of meditation participants engaged in did not seem to significantly affect performance anxiety.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report Patients with a depressive disorder | 2015 | Observational study | |
| Patterning of Cognitive and Somatic Processes in the Self-Regulation of Anxiety: Effects of Meditation versus Exercise Regular practitioners of physical exercise or meditation | 1978 | Retrospective study | n = 77 |
| Dynamic coupling of whole-brain neuronal and neurotransmitter systems Healthy humans | 2020 | Observational study | |
| Psychedelics not linked to mental health problems or suicidal behavior: A population study Randomly selected United States adults | 2015 | Observational cohort | n = 135,095 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Meditation as a tool to counteract music performance anxiety from the experts’ perspective Psychology of Music March 29, 2023
- Freeing the performer's mind: A network analysis of music performance anxiety, negative affect, self‐consciousness and mindfulness among music performers Scandinavian Journal of Psychology May 29, 2023
- Meditating musicians: investigating the experience of music students and professional musicians in a brief mindfulness course to address music performance anxiety. Frontiers in Psychology 2025
- Mindfulness como estrategia para mejorar el desempeño académico en la educación 4.0: Estudio de caso universitario Ciencia Nicolaita July 7, 2023
- Kayanapussana Satipatthana and the Buddhist practices of Samadhi and Sati as foundational practices in the development of Thai musical skills International Journal of Music Education October 25, 2024
and 1 more in the library
Cites 8
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences October 11, 2007
- The toronto mindfulness scale: Development and validation Journal of Clinical Psychology 2006
- Loving-kindness and compassion meditation: potential for psychological interventions. Clinical Psychology Review July 26, 2011
and 3 more in the library