Perfectionism Tendency and Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) on Tertiary Students’ in Malaysia

Despite the fact that almost all studies are done in western countries, this article explains perfectionism tendency and music performance anxiety (MPA) in a communist culture of Malaysia. However, there is a lacking study existing in relation to the relationship between MPA in any field of education or perfectionism among Malaysian tertiary students. Hence, this article presents the expansion of the body of literature on this important relationship between MPA and perfectionism. The knowledge affecting to symptoms and signs anxiety during adolescence among students can help if possible areas can be highlighted for the mediating and prevention on the relationship, this article may prove fruitful to Malaysian youths in the university setting so they can overcome the lacking.


Introduction
Perfectionism is observed as an explicit mode of function that relates to a trend to appear perfect or to seek to be acceptable. Verner-Filion and Vallerand (2016) perceive perfectionism as a natural characteristic. A hale and hearty perfectionism have been differentiated from neurotic perfectionism. In one case, an individual is capable to outline accurate objectives and achieve satisfaction after reaching the objectives. The other case is when the individual fixes extremely high standards to be attained. Since these standards are unreachable, they associate imperfect or incomplete feelings. Recently, perfectionism is viewed as multidimensional personality attribute related to psychological complications, spins of social relations and flawed relationship to success.
In accordance with the model, perfectionism is a 3D concept including socially-set, otheroriented and self-set perfectionism. Self-set perfectionism mirrors a tendency to set high or impossible personal criteria of achievement. It is connected to various disorders and traits including hypomania, depression, and anxiety. Perfectionism concerning other-oriented personalities who keep high expectations others around in the social environment. Socially set perfectionism is interrelated to environmental pressures. Socially set perfectionists observe stresses from others to possess high standards. Psychologists reported that psychological distress prompted by two customs of perfectionism was connected to anxiety, depression, aggressive behaviors, and social stress.
Perfectionism is a behavior that could be beneficial for the talent expression with high ranks of accomplishment; it also associates anxious feelings if standards are not met. In this scenario, talented students may need certain support because of the tendency to be anxious and tense, but a few realistic studies are present to support this view. Should we criticize ourselves for postponing, and complaining of every diminutive detail till everything becomes flawless? Or, is it better to leave ourselves hanging off the fishhook?

Perfectionism
There are a great number of people who would ponder over having high standards the best thing. Struggling for excellence shows that they have a powerful character and good work ethics. High standards do push an individual to reach an ultimate flush of performance. For example, athletes are mostly trained hard and long hours to reach superiority in fitness and their sports. On the other hand, perfectionism contains a tendency to set specific standards that maybe too high that can neither be met nor can be achieved but only met with excessive difficulty. Perfectionists believe that anything lacking perfection is terrible and that even negligible imperfections will lead straight to devastation. For instance, most of the people believe that it is very important to try to not to make any mistakes and do best. Nevertheless, most of the people also think that on and on foregoing mistakes is inescapable and that making one does not clearly means that they have failed in something totally. However, growing youngsters with perfectionism are inclined to believe that they are not at all permissible to make mistakes and making one means they have been disgraced in front others making themselves horrible and an example of failure. This thinking makes it actually frightening for them to make errors. It is also likely to feel maybe even disappointed and make one feel stressed trying to be perfect for oneself most of the time because being able to meet standards is not easy at times. Over time, one may even begin to believe that he or she is not as proficient as others. Therefore, it is sensible to let one loosening up criterions a bit to ease anxiety and the stress one might be feeling from trying very hard to be flawless (Hamamura and Laird, 2014). Perfectionism is defined as a negative trait, regarded as by high criterions of achievement and performance, which lead towards emotional distress, fear of failure and shame.

Performance Anxiety
Millions of individuals fret the performance anxiety, commonly known as "stage fright." In fact, many people will get flu rather than perform. Actors, athletes, public speakers and musicians, often go through performance anxiety. Almost everybody and anybody dreads the feeling of being looked by so many eyes gazing down and judging, though nobody wants to be judged no matter what (Kenny and Halls, 2017).

Overview
An anxiety of any kind is a severe mental-health issue among youth nowadays. It has a pronounced impact on their present and future. The predominant degree of anxiety among the Malaysian youngsters are principally students is about 22.5% which is considered high and should be intervened. Although a cross-sectional revision was conducted on around 506 students, ages between 18 to 24 years old were picked among four general universities from Klang Valley in Malaysia. (Shamsuddin, K. et al., 2013) It was found that from these students 34% were moderate students and 29% suffered a severe form of anxiety, higher than the 20 years of an age group of students from rural areas. Within this population of Malaysia, anxiety is also found in obese and overweight individuals. Abdollahi, A., & Abu Talib, M. (2016) studied anxiety due to social aspects of growing trends in society an average of 207 obese and overweight students were picked from 16 different faculties in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) were found that in terms of appearances students faced social anxiety due to the obesity.
The natural correlation between perfectionism and performance anxiety is a debatable topic, even though the fact is that most of the studies are usually conducted in west which is an individualistic culture very rarely such topics are discussed or studies made between perfectionism and performance anxiety, on students of Asia, belonging from collectivist culture, as Malaysian students which are a vital aspect to be discussed in concern of public health.
Some students face troubles participating in different activities. This anxious feeling grows more intense with growing age and having pre cognition about surroundings with extra sensitivity. It is becoming more centered on one's whole being, be it the body, the looks, features or if nothing than the mere feeling of statuses of people around. This very feeling recounts to rising social anxiety from peer assessment of their selves in a totally negative way by others around. There have been several studies discovered that individuals having low in self-esteem and satisfaction are more likely to practice social anxiety due to the prominence and unavoidability of interaction in social life, often fear roots impairments in all aspects of everyday life. Social anxiety can physically and emotionally paralyze the person, struggling to manage and cope socially. Social anxiety is pervasive and chronic due to the dependence on social prevention common for the people living with the disorder. Although isolation and avoidance may temporarily abate the anxiety symptoms, the fears underlying does remain (Spain et al., 2017).
In spite of how extensive this disorder proves to be, more attention has been paid to panic syndrome despite the minor prevalence degree. Traditionally, social anxiety has been observed inaccurately as mild anxiety disorders and to some extent what most individuals deal with. Similarly, in common culture, social anxiety or social phobia is regarded as mere "bashfulness" versus somewhat clinically pathological and pervasive. In some researchers, social anxiety may be equally weakening as other disorders and has been confirmed a challenge for treatment (Pugliese et al., 2013).
Perfectionism and performance anxiety is paid a great deal of attention recently for the mental health of college students. Even though it was presumed that students do not bare psychological disturbance, an examination from centers of college counseling informs different relation. In a survey of the university, 60 % of the students were reported by the directors using their counseling center, for more periods of time.
Some reasons for this intense rise of mental illness is increasing ranks of competitiveness across the systems of student's life, and they are expected to be flawless in every way. They are likely to get into good professional fields, maintain a high standard, socialize with certain friends, find a very job and also pay off loans. Not only do the parents have expectations, but also the society. It is possibly not astonishing that the young individual feels that they will not be able to keep up with the parental, societal, and in due course self-imposed pressures of perfectionism. Often, great sacrifices are made by parents to give good education to elevate the children and possibility not to disappoint their parents or society. Though many mental health complications resulting from this system of pressure and competitiveness. The recent study supports the theory of anxiety and stress being most typical bi-products. Nearly all of the tertiary students report feeling anxious and depressed (Williamon & Thompson, 2006) and (Schulz, 1981to Williamon & Thompson, 2006.

Music Performance Anxiety (MPA)
Music is a vital means of communication that provides people a way of sharing emotions, meanings, and feelings even though their different languages may be comprehensive. As a notable musician one should have the ability to endure the physical and psychological demands of performing in front of the public. The stress of delivering and preparing a performance can often build high stages of anxiety. Anxiety for music performance, also referred as stage fright is experienced by a lot of music students and also professional musicians including a major problem amongst them. According to Orejudo et al. (2017), Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) is a situation where the response of performer's stress goes beyond an average arousal state, causing unfavorable consequences. Sometimes a tolerable degree of anxiety is perceived as an implementer. Yet, a higher degree of anxiety may intensify significant, devastating effects. Determining the number of stressful performances affecting musicians is very important to enhance understand the MPA phenomenon. Constantly in some studies and other present literature, the findings show, anxiety experienced while the music performance is a phenomenon which is predominant among the students and may have unbearable effects on their performances. Despite the reality of anxiety throughout the performance among the music students, these phenomena have provisionally investigated the students of music practice in Malaysian Universities. Therefore, MPA faced by the music students of Malaysian Universities was organized to evaluate their music performance anxiety.

Symptoms
This can be quiet stressful for some individuals knowing that they are the center of attention and everybody is looking at him or her. The body starts to react to such situation in almost the same way as if one is being attacked. The body's "flight -or-fight" mechanism boosts in, which is the reason why the symptoms of "stage fright" are alike to the symptoms which occur when one is in real danger. The symptoms of performance anxiety may comprise: • Hallucination • Rapid breathing and palpitation • Trembling voice, lips, knees, and hands • Tight throat and dry mouth • Nausea • Cold and sweaty palms (Robson and Kenny, 2017)

Performance Anxiety Causes
The moment when the individual challenges: his vulnerabilities and fears, the feeling of not to prove yourself to others, and accepting oneself for who they are the very first step in the direction of overcoming performance anxiety. We should keep in reminding that nobody is ever perfect, nobody ever expects one to be perfect, and it is not a great deal to make mistakes. The next step is using wisdom to know how to readdress negative predictions, images, thoughts and beliefs about acting in public. This is not as tough as one might think it will be (Chapman, 2017).

Treating Performance Anxiety
There are some tips which can help overcome doubts and gleam on the field, at the podium or on stage: • Practice and be prepared. • Limit sugar intake and caffeine on the day of performance is. Eat a practically sensible meal couple of hours before the performance to have energy and don't feel hungry. A healthy meal is a good choice. • Move the attention off of yourself, and the fear towards the enjoyment one will be providing to the audience. Shut your eyes and visualize the audience cheering and laughing. • Do not focus on things that could go off beam. As an alternative, focus the mind on the good and positive thoughts. Imagine success. • Elude thoughts that yield self-doubt.
Practice biofeedback, measured breathing, meditation and different strategies which help to relax and redirect thoughts if they go negative. There a lot of amazing practices of relaxation methods every day, irrespective of whether one has a performance, there is a skill to practice when needed, like: • Jump up and about, take a walk before, do what seems right, or shake out muscles to comfort anxious state of mind before the big performance. • Connect with the audience, think of them as friends, smile, make eye contact and relax. • Be yourself and act natural.
• Indulge in a healthy lifestyle, eat healthily, exercise and take adequate sleep. • Stage fright can usually be worse before any performance, but it goes away right after it starts (Chapman, 2017).

Overcoming
There are various mental tricks that play in helping one perform in less anxiety. They include: • Find friendliest faces in the audience and focus on them.
• We have all heard laughing is a big medicine, it helps to relax.
• Look good, feel good.
• These tricks help reduce anxiety before the performance. But in case they do not help, talk to a trained therapist or a counselor in treating issues of anxiety. They may assist in more concentrated therapy, as in cognitive therapy of behavior, to help to overcome performance anxiety. Confronting your terrors and learning methods to reduce and achieve them can be a privilege. Not only does it make one feel good, but one might even discover that one is a confident performer, as well (Osborne et al., 2014).
In conclusion, MPA is a reality that musicians of all ages have to deal with. While most of the existing literature focuses on the way, adults experience performance anxiety, this articles highlights on perfectionism tendency among tertiary students' which may have experience nervousness with MPA in Malaysia. Finally, further research is needed to determine if the additional characteristic is specified in defining MPA environments.