Exposition

OPTIMAL Practising: An Autonomous Journey of Exploring Enhanced Expectancies and External Focus (2022)

Xavier Tan
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About this exposition

While exploring ways to improve practice methods and reduce stage anxiety, the researcher came across the OPTIMAL (Optimising Performance through Intrinsic Motivation and Attention for Learning) theory of motor learning while reading William’s 2019 research on “Finding Focus”. The theory was proposed by Wulf and Lewthwaite (2016) to utilise motivation and attentional focus in improving performance. Through a thorough theoretical review of the theory, other relevant studies, and attending workshops and courses, the researcher discovered better approaches and methods to practising for himself, enhancing his quality of practice and promoting personal growth. By developing and applying an informed method to a group of 13 musicians from the Royal Conservatory of the Hague, this research also investigated the impact of the OPTIMAL theory on the practice of other musicians through a three-week intervention. The goal-coupling action from enhanced expectancies, autonomy, and external focus was found to bring about greater practice quality. The data obtained from the intervention and a retention test also revealed enhanced levels of organisation, objectiveness, mindfulness, and confidence during practice. However, some found themselves more anxious in the process. The intervention highlighted a need for more resources, as well as safe spaces to discuss practice and performance in Conservatoires. This research hopes that the findings bring about more awareness, acts as a source of information, and encourage more open discussions on the way musicians practice and perform, as more attention could be given to this in the way we shape music education.
typeresearch exposition
keywordsautonomy, Enhanced expectancies, External focus, external focus of attention, Musical Training Performance & Cognition, practice, OPTIMAL Theory, holistic approach
date02/11/2021
published20/05/2022
last modified20/05/2022
statuspublished
share statusprivate
affiliationoptimal theory
copyrightXavier Tan
licenseAll rights reserved
languageEnglish
urlhttps://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/1406812/1406819
published inKC Research Portal
portal issue1. Master Research Projects


Simple Media

id name copyright license
1420791 optimal Wulf, Lewthwaite All rights reserved
1420807 FIGURE5.1 Xavier Tan All rights reserved
1420822 Fig 5.4 Xavier Tan All rights reserved
1420826 Fig.5.5 Xavier Tan All rights reserved
1420867 informed consent Xavier Tan All rights reserved
1420874 Pre-project Survey Xavier Tan All rights reserved
1420879 Diary Week 1 Xavier Tan All rights reserved
1420882 Toolkit Handout for Participants Xavier Tan All rights reserved
1420925 Post-project Survey Xavier Tan All rights reserved
1422792 Diary Week 2-4 Xavier Tan All rights reserved
1428691 Fig5.2 Xavier Tan All rights reserved
1428693 Fig 5.3 Xavier Tan All rights reserved
1538753 OPTIMAL-removebg-preview1 Wulf & Lewthwaite (2019) All rights reserved
1538768 optimal-no-bg Wulf & Lewthwaite (2019) All rights reserved
1540865 spootch3-removebg-preview Xavier Tan All rights reserved
1542717 green_swatch no bg Xavier Tan All rights reserved
1542781 title of pages Xavier Tan All rights reserved
1542814 icon shapes Xavier Tan All rights reserved
1544066 fig 5.1 Xavier Tan All rights reserved
1544410 side menu Xavier Tan All rights reserved
1544416 side menu lighter Xavier Tan All rights reserved
1544847 Appendix G Xavier Tan All rights reserved
1544854 Appendix H Xavier Tan All rights reserved
1544866 Appendix I Xavier Tan All rights reserved
1544871 Appendix J Xavier Tan All rights reserved
1544990 slash watercolour Xavier Tan All rights reserved

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