At the Intersection of Anxiety, Gender, and Performance

Anxiety may affect performance by influencing either a performer's ability to perform effectively, or an observer's perception of the performer's efficacy, or by some combination of these effects. Performance evaluations may be additionally related to two expectancies about anxiety: (1) anxiety impairs performance, (2) women are more anxious than men. This study explored the effect of anxiety on performance by examining whether: (1) self-perceived anxiety is associated with expert performance evaluations; (2) evaluators' perceptions of performers' anxiety are associated with expert performance evaluations; (3) women and men differ in levels of self-perceived anxiety; (4) evaluators perceive men and women to be differentially anxious. A short-term longitudinal quasi-field study was conducted, examining performances with real-life consequences. Prior to auditioning for an orchestra, musicians filled out several questionnaires; the auditions were evaluated by two conductors. The results suggested that evalua...