Virtual reality exposure training for music performance anxiety under pressure: a cross-cultural study of Chinese and Japanese music students

Music performance anxiety (MPA) is prevalent among music students in high-pressure performance contexts. Virtual reality (VR)–based exposure training has been proposed as a potential intervention; however, its effectiveness across cultural contexts remains unclear. This study examined whether the impact of VR exposure training on MPA is moderated by cultural background. Thirty university-level clarinet majors were recruited from Tokyo University of the Arts (Japan; n = 16) and Qiqihar University (China; n = 14). Participants were stratified by baseline music performance anxiety (K-MPAI) and randomly assigned to a VR training group or a non-VR control group. Over a five-day training period, the VR group practiced in an immersive virtual performance-examination environment, while the control group followed conventional practice. Measures included pre-performance state anxiety (STAI-Y1), subjective distress (SUDS), heart rate, post-performance subjective evaluation, and adjudicated performance scores. Results revealed significant interaction effects between training condition and cultural background for both pre-performance state anxiety and post-performance subjective unease. Participants from the Chinese sample who received VR training reported lower levels of subjective anxiety relative to the non-VR condition, whereas comparable differences were not observed in the Japanese sample. No significant VR effects were observed for heart rate or performance scores. Correlation and regression analyses indicated relatively strong associations among subjective anxiety measures, whereas relationships between psychological, physiological, and performance indicators were generally weak. These findings provide preliminary evidence that responses to VR-based exposure training for MPA may vary across cultural and educational contexts and highlight the importance of context-sensitive applications of immersive technologies in music education.