The Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory-Revised (K-MPAI-R): Validation of the French version

This study aimed at validating the psychometric properties of the French version of the 40-item revised Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (K-MPAI-R). The certified French version was used and answered by 211 student musicians (aged 16-65 years, SD = 9.58) from different music schools and music colleges in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. The K-MPAI-R is based on Barlow's model of anxiety and was designed to measure performance anxiety in musicians. Through descriptive statistics and confirmatory factor analysis, the correlation matrix and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy and Bartlett's test of sphericity were performed. The confirmatory factor analysis showed evidence of validity (Cronbach's alpha, Factor G = .91) with internal reliabilities going from alpha = .78 to .86. Nine items present low factor loading (<.30). Given the adequate psychometric properties of the French K-MPAI-R, this instrument is valid and reliable for the measurement of performance anxiety among French-speaking musicians. When accompanying musicians in mental preparation (e.g., psychologists, mental trainer), the total score should be taken as a general information, but factors and their associated lowest items could be interesting to work on pertinent aspects with the musician.