The Audience Effect

Researcher: Emma Osterrieder

It takes the form of a neuroscientific study (conducted at UCL) that examines the ‘audience effect’ in expert musicians by measuring the levels of activation in their medial prefrontal cortex with functional near-infrared spectroscopy devices.

The study aims to reveal how the absence and presence of varying audiences affect neural activation in expert musicians, advancing our understanding of the audience effect in the context of high-level performing arts.

In contrast to previous studies that employ non-expert participants and general tasks, my research focuses on expert musicians (using Academy students) and how elite performers respond to an audience on a neural level. The analysis provides support for the self-presentation theory behind the audience effect whereby individuals’ behaviour differs in front of an audience to project a better image of themselves.

The results are instrumental in guiding future scientific research and evidence-based artistic performance practice alike. I intend to frame the experiment from a personal perspective, thereby also placing the project in an artistic research context. It is my conviction that nurturing my passions for art and science has enhanced my performance in both fields.

Image: Emma Osterrieder performing with an fNIRS cap