University of Sydney Reports Findings in Psychology (Musicians' pursuit of expertise-related goals is characterised by strategic regulation of functional and counterproductive affect).

A recent study conducted by the University of Sydney explores the relationship between musicians' pursuit of expertise-related goals and their regulation of emotions. The research suggests that musicians strategically regulate their emotions during practice in order to prioritize emotions that are conducive to achieving their long-term musical goals, even if those emotions are not necessarily positive. The study found that musicians with higher levels of expertise-related goals demonstrated a nuanced approach to regulating certain negative emotions, indicating a selective and sophisticated emotion regulation behavior. These findings contribute to our understanding of domain-specific emotion regulation and may inform the development of effective musical practice strategies. [Extracted from the article]