The effects of relaxing music for anxiety control on competitive sport anxiety
Abstract
This investigation examined the effects of relaxing music for anxiety control on measures of competitive state anxiety and the performance of a simple motor skill. Seventy‐two undergraduate students volunteered to participate in the study. Participants were informed that they would be required to partake in a sport competition, possibly with an audience present, and possibly whilst being filmed. Participants were randomly allocated to one of three intervention conditions, listening to relaxing music for anxiety control, listening to non‐relaxing music or a no music control. During the 10‐minute intervention period, measures of anxiety (CSAI‐2R, subjective relaxation and HR) were taken on three occasions (baseline, pre‐intervention and post‐intervention). Repeated measures MANOVA showed that all three interventions provoked significant reductions in competitive state anxiety. Condition had no impact upon any of the DVs. These results suggest that listening to relaxing music for anxiety control was no more effective at reducing competitive state anxiety than non‐relaxing music or a period of silence. ES, mean difference and 90% CI data did however provide some support for the application of relaxing music for anxiety control. There were no between‐condition differences in motor task performance.
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Relaxation showed relatively larger point estimates for cognitive anxiety, consistent with previous findings by Bagherpour et al. and Elliott et al.
“Relaxation showed relatively larger point estimates for cognitive anxiety, consistent with previous findings by Bagherpour et al. [48] and Elliott et al. [57], which reported moderate yet significant effects.”
From The Effect of Different Psychological Interventions on Athletes' Competitive Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis. (2026) · cites this paper as [57]
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- Authors
- Elliott, D., Polman, R., & Taylor, J.
- Affiliations
- Department of Sport and Physical Activity University of Cumbria Carlisle UK
- Victoria University (AU)
- University of Cumbria (GB)
- Venue
- European Journal of Sport Science
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2012-06-19
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- S1
- Pages
- S296-301
- ISSN
- 1536-7290 (ISSN-L)
- 1746-1391
- OpenAlex
- W2071868370
- Cited by
- 42
- References
- 38
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 2.89
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- European Journal of Sport Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Victoria University Research Repository (Victoria University) (submittedVersion)
- Insight (University of Cumbria) (submittedVersion)
- Faculty of Health
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Music Therapy and Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Sport Psychology and Performance
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Music Perception
- Keywords
- relaxing music, anxiety control, pre-competition anxiety, competitive anxiety, music listening, motor skill performance, heart rate
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Anxiety, Competitive Behavior, Female, Humans, Male, Music Therapy, Stress, Psychological, Task Performance and Analysis, Young Adult, Athletes
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