The Relationships Among Music Performance Anxiety, Personality Traits, and Self-Regulated Learning in Music Practice of Adolescent Performers in Taiwan.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among music performance anxiety (MPA), self-regulated learning in music (SLM), self-regulated learning in music performance anxiety (SL-MPA), and the Big Five personality traits in adolescent musicians. A secondary purpose was to investigate whether MPA varied according to self-identified gender, age, and performance experience. Participants consisted of 850 students from 26 public secondary schools in Taiwan enrolled in music-specialized programs. Data were collected through a paper-based questionnaire that included demographic questions and four measures: (a) the Music Performance Anxiety Inventory for Adolescents (MPAI-A), (b) the Self-Regulated Learning in Music Questionnaire (SLMQ), (c) the Big Five Inventory (BFI), and (d) a researcher-developed measure, the Self-Regulated Learning in Music Performance Anxiety (SL-MPA), along with three open-ended questions on MPA management strategies. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the construct validity of all four measures.Descriptive analyses revealed generally moderate to high levels of music performance anxiety (MPA) on average, with a relatively large degree of variability (M = 4.25, SD = 1.45). The average score for self-regulated learning in music (SLM) was moderate (M = 3.27, SD = .75), while the SL-MPA score was slightly higher (M = 3.38, SD = .83). Among the Big Five personality traits, the tendency of Agreeableness had the highest average score (M = 3.64), whereas Conscientiousness had the lowest (M = 3.03). Structural equation modeling (SEM) showed that SLM, gender, age, and performance experience significantly predicted MPA. Specifically, participants who demonstrated higher levels of SLM, identified as male, were younger in age, and had more performance experience tended to exhibit lower levels of MPA. Additionally, Conscientiousness and Openness significantly predicted SLM, with their effects on MPA mediated through SLM. In other words, participants with stronger tendencies in Conscientiousness or Openness tended to engage more in self-regulated learning, which was associated with lower MPA. However, SL-MPA was not a significant predictor of MPA in the SEM model. Analysis of open-ended responses revealed several strategies for managing anxiety not fully captured by the SL-MPA scale, suggesting directions for future refinement.These findings contribute to the understanding of how self-regulated learning behaviors and personality traits are linked to music performance anxiety in adolescent musicians and offer practical implications for building educational environments that foster both MPA regulation and musical growth.