Competitiveness and performance anxiety as predictors of performance success and intent to quit playing: deliberate practice as mediator and moderator

Hatfield, J. L. and Williamon, A. (2025) Competitiveness and performance anxiety as predictors of performance success and intent to quit playing: deliberate practice as mediator and moderator. Music Education Research ISSN 1461-3808 (print) 1469-9893 (online) (In Press)

Abstract

Aspiring professional musicians often report music performance anxiety (MPA), which often stems from a lack of full confidence in mastering pieces and heightens the fear of making mistakes. Deliberate practice (DP) is accordingly expected to foster both physical and mental resilience and as such performance success. This cross-sectional study examined how MPA and competitiveness were associated with intent to quit playing one’s musical instrument and perceived performance success in a sample of 281 aspiring professional musicians. Most importantly, it explored the mediating role of DP and the extent to which DP buffered the negative associations of MPA with these outcomes. The results partially supported our hypotheses. MPA was positively associated with intent to quit playing and negatively associated with performance success. Competitiveness, however, was not significantly related to intent to quit and was only marginally associated with higher performance success. Higher involvement in DP was associated with lower MPA, which in turn predicted lower intent to quit and greater performance success. Significant indirect effects indicated that DP partially mediated the relationship between MPA and both outcomes. In contrast, competitiveness was not significantly related to DP, and indirect effects via DP were not significant. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that DP accounted for additional variance beyond MPA and was strongly associated with greater performance success and lower turnover intention. However, the interaction term (DP × MPA) did not significantly predict either performance success or turnover intention, providing no clear evidence for a buffering role of DP. These findings highlight the direct protective association of DP with positive outcomes in aspiring professional musicians, rather than any moderating effect on the negative consequences of MPA. Educational implications for supporting students in higher music education are discussed, along with suggestions for future research.

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