Perceived memory reliability and music performance anxiety in Chinese musicians: a mediation and latent profile approach

Introduction: The present study aimed to clarify heterogeneity in music performance anxiety (MPA) by identifying latent profiles, examining sociodemographic and psychological predictors of profile membership, and testing mediation pathways. Methods: A total of 819 Chinese musicians participated in an online survey that assessed MPA, performance worry (PW), and perceived memory reliability (PMR), along with demographic variables. Results: Latent profile analysis (LPA) revealed a three-profile solution that distinguished low, moderate, and high MPA groups. Multinomial logistic regression indicated that older age, higher education levels, lower household income, and unstable employment were significantly associated with membership in the moderate and high MPA profiles. In addition, PW emerged as a significant psychological predictor of elevated MPA, whereas PMR showed a protective effect and was negatively associated with MPA. Mediation models further demonstrated that PW played an important role in transmitting the effect of PMR on MPA, suggesting that cognitive factors related to memory reliability shape worry processes, which, in turn, intensify performance anxiety. Conclusions: These findings advance understanding of MPA by demonstrating that Chinese musicians can be meaningfully categorized into distinct risk groups, each shaped by sociodemographic vulnerabilities and cognitive-emotional pathways. From a practical perspective, the results highlight the importance of targeted prevention and intervention strategies that address both memory-related cognitions and performance worry in order to reduce MPA in vulnerable populations.