Abstract
Reaction time is a method to examine the effect of consecutive performances on processing speed of musicians. The purpose of this pilot study was to compare reaction times of post-secondary music students before and after four consecutive performances in one day. In total, 9 student musicians participated. Cognition was assessed using a ten minute battery consisting of measurements of simple reaction time (SRT), choice reaction time (CRT), and discrimination reaction time (DRT). The battery was administered before their first performance (pre-test) and immediately following their final performance (post-test). Musicians also completed a numeric self-assessment rating scale of physical and mental fatigue at pre- and post-testing on a scale of 0 (no fatigue) to 10 (maximum fatigue). Simple reaction time was significantly faster (M=285.24, SD=39.08) compared to CRT (M=352.11, SD=41.03) and DRT (M=340.29, SD=68.03) F(2,4) = 6.05. While participants reported an increase in physical fatigue (pre-test = 4.17; post-test = 7.50) and mental fatigue (pre-test = 3.50; post-test = 7.50), no significant differences were found between pre-test and post-test measures for SRT (275.47 ms vs. 295 ms), CRT (345.49 ms vs. 358.73 ms), or DRT (351.07 ms vs. 329.51 ms), respectively. These results suggest that while the musicians felt more physically and mentally fatigued after their performances, this did not translate into measurable changes in reaction time performance immediately following their music performances. Further research is needed to assess any delayed effects on reaction time following a day of multiple performances.
