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Updated: Jun 25, 2025
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Assessment of Stress Effects on Cognitive Flexibility using an Operant Strategy Shifting Paradigm
Published on: May 4, 2020
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Opera trainees' cognitive functioning is associated with physiological stress during performance
Negin Motamed Yeganeh1, Taylor McKee1, Janet F Werker1
1The University of British Columbia, Canada.
Musicae Scientiae : the Journal of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music
|May 24, 2024
Summary
Opera singers with better cognitive functions, like attention and executive function, experience less performance stress. Higher cognitive function correlates with lower physiological stress during demanding musical performances.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Music Psychology
- Psychophysiology
Background:
- Opera singers face significant stress during performances, impacting their ability to execute demanding musical pieces.
- Previous research indicates a link between enhanced cognitive functions and reduced stress levels in individuals.
- Cognitive functions such as attention, memory, and executive function are crucial during musical performances.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between cognitive functions and physiological stress in opera trainees during performance.
- To explore how attention, memory, and executive function relate to stress indicators in a live opera setting.
Main Methods:
- Collected cardiac activity data (heart-rate variability - HRV) from 24 opera trainees during rest and live performance.
- Assessed cognitive functions using standardized neuropsychological tests: attention (IVA-2), memory (CVLT-3, WMS-IV), and executive function (Trail Making Test).
- Analyzed the correlation between HRV (as a stress indicator) and cognitive measures in different states (rest vs. performance).
Main Results:
- Heart-rate variability during rest positively correlated with attention.
- Heart-rate variability during performance positively correlated with executive function.
- These findings suggest cognitive function-specific relationships with stress during opera performance.
Conclusions:
- Greater cognitive function, particularly executive function, is associated with lower physiological stress during opera performances.
- The study provides initial evidence supporting a connection between cognitive abilities and managing performance stress in musicians.
- These insights may inform training strategies for opera singers to enhance both cognitive resilience and performance outcomes.
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