The Relationship Between Social Support Perceived by Music Majors and Performance Anxiety: Subjective Well-Being and Achievement Motivation as Sequential Mediators

This study aims to examine the sequential mediating effects of subjective well-being and achievement motivation on the relationship between perceived social support and performance anxiety among music majors in China.An online survey was conducted with 294 music majors from four universities in Shandong Province, China, utilizing a questionnaire that included perceived social support (12 items), performance anxiety (10 items), subjective well-being (9 items), and achievement motivation (16 items).The collected data were analyzed using reliability, validity, correlation, structural equation modelling, and mediation effect analysis.The results indicated that perceived social support was a significant factor in alleviating performance anxiety among Chinese music majors.Moreover, subjective well-being and achievement motivation sequentially mediated the relationship between perceived social support and performance anxiety.In other words, higher levels of perceived social support were associated with increased subjective well-being and achievement motivation, ultimately contributing to reduced performance anxiety among music majors.Specifically, music majors with high achievement motivation tended to perceive performances as opportunities for challenge and reported lower performance anxiety levels.These findings suggest creating an environment that enhances social support and subjective well-being to alleviate performance anxiety among music majors.Additionally, the study highlights the importance of educational programs that stimulate achievement motivation and support music majors in achieving their personal goals.