ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was twofold: first, to examine the effects of personal characteristics(degree of anxiety, performance motivation) and performance experiences on music school students` stress through performance anxiety and learned helplessness, and second, to examine how these effects were mediated by one`s degree of anxiety, performance motivation and performance experiences. Based on data from a survey of 252 middle school participants, a structural equation model was used to examine the relations among degree of anxiety, performance motivation, performance experiences, performance anxiety, learned helplessness and stress. As a result, students who experienced more successes in competitions showed more intrinsic motivation, less performance anxiety, and lower learned helplessness. Moreover, one`s degree of anxiety increased performance anxiety and stress while intrinsic motivation decreased both behavioral and psychological performance anxiety. Competitive performance experiences decreased both behavioral and psychological performance anxiety while uncompetitive performance experiences only led to decreases in behavioral performance anxiety. Results suggest that personal characteristics and performance experiences are significant determinant of performance anxiety, learned helplessness and stress. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed in detail.

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