The cognitive engine of evaluative threat: socially prescribed perfectionism and Music Performance Anxiety—a moderated mediation analysis of rumination and self-compassion

Background Socially Prescribed Perfectionism (SP) is a robust risk factor for Music Performance Anxiety (MPA), yet the underlying cognitive and regulatory mechanisms remain inadequately understood. Objective This study aimed to delineate these pathways by constructing a moderated mediation model, examining rumination as a cognitive mediator and Self-Compassion (SC) as a multi-stage moderator. Methods Data were collected from 606 university music students. Analyses were conducted using Hayes’ PROCESS macro (Model 59) to test the moderated mediation, controlling for academic grade and performance frequency. Results Confirmatory factor analysis established an excellent measurement model fit (χ 2 /df = 4.37, CFI = 0.957, RMSEA = 0.075). SP significantly predicted MPA both directly and indirectly specifically through rumination; other ruminative dimensions (Symptom Rumination and Reflection) were non-significant mediators. Crucially, SC moderated this mediation process at multiple stages. First, SC buffered the initial impact of perfectionistic pressure on rumination ( B = −0.10). Second, a complex “Awareness Paradox” emerged: the positive link between rumination and MPA was significantly stronger among individuals with high SC ( B = 0.16). Consequently, conditional indirect effect analysis demonstrated that the indirect effect of SP on MPA via rumination was only significant at moderate and high levels of SC. Conclusion This study validates the “social expectations” framework of MPA, identifying rumination as the critical mechanism translating internalized social pressure into cognitive interference. Theoretically, findings highlight the dual-edged nature of self-compassion: acting as a protective buffer against maladaptive thinking, while potentially facilitating heightened emotional awareness. Practically, music pedagogy should prioritize cognitive restructuring alongside nuanced self-compassion training to help musicians process, rather than suppress, performance-related distress.