Title
Psychological interventions for the self-regulated enhancement of music performance: A systematic review
Abstract
Psychological interventions to enhance musicians’ self-regulation are increasingly being recognized as essential for supporting them in their development and optimization of performance skills. The aim of this review was to provide a synthesis of such interventions and examine their effects on expert-rated music performance quality. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol, we initially identified 3,182 articles, of which we selected 89 studies. Using the theoretical framework of self-regulated learning, we present a comprehensive overview of experimental, quasi-experimental, and single-case studies published until April 2022 that tested how musicians can improve their performance through self-regulation strategies such as goal setting, imagery, attention focusing, relaxation, and self-evaluation. The results show mixed evidence with mostly positive or non-significant effects, indicating that expressive writing, external focus, feedback, combined electromyographic (EMG) and electroencephalographic (EEG) biofeedback, and imagery combined with physical practice can increase expert-rated music performance quality. The reported methodological quality, the applied performance task and evaluation, and potential mechanisms underlying the interventions should be considered when interpreting the results. We critically discuss possible improvements for future studies, as well as practical implications.
Keywords
musicianpsychological skillsperformance enhancementself-regulationself-regulated learning
Object type
Language
English [eng]
Persistent identifier
Appeared in
Title
Musicae Scientiae
Volume
29
Issue
2
ISSN
1029-8649
Issued
2024
From page
279
To page
313
Publication
SAGE Publications
Version type
Date issued
2024
Access rights
Rights
Rights statement
© The Author(s) 2024
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