The constrained action hypothesis states that focusing attention on action outcomes rather than body movement improves motor performance. Dexterity of motor control is key to successful music performance, making this a highly relevant topic to music education. We investigated effects of focus of attention (FOA) on motor skill performance and EMG muscle activity in a violin bowing task among experienced and novice upper strings players. Following a pedagogically informed exercise, participants attempted to produce single oscillations of the string at a time under three FOA: internal (on arm movement), external (on sound produced), and somatic (on string resistance). Experienced players’ number of bow slips was significantly reduced under somatic focus relative to internal, although number of successful oscillations was not affected. Triceps electromyographic activity was also significantly lower in somatic compared to internal foci for both expertise groups, consistent with physiological understandings of FOA effects. Participants’ reported thoughts during the experiment provided insight into whether aspects of constrained action may be evident in performers’ conscious thinking. These results provide novel support for the constrained action hypothesis in violin bow control, suggesting a somatic FOA as a promising performance-enhancing strategy for bowed string technique.

受约束的动作假设指出，将注意力集中在动作结果而不是身体运动上可以提高运动表现。运动控制的灵巧性是成功音乐表演的关键，这使其成为与音乐教育高度相关的话题。我们调查了注意力集中 (FOA) 对经验丰富和新手上弦乐手在小提琴拉弓任务中的运动技能表现和 EMG 肌肉活动的影响。在经过教学指导的练习之后，参与者试图在三个 FOA 下一次产生单个弦振动：内部（手臂运动）、外部（产生声音）和躯体（弦阻力）。相对于内部，有经验的玩家在躯体聚焦下的弓滑次数显着减少，尽管成功摆动的次数没有受到影响。与两个专业组的内部病灶相比，躯体三头肌肌电图活动也显着降低，这与对 FOA 效应的生理理解一致。参与者在实验期间报告的想法提供了对受限行为方面是否在表演者的有意识思维中显而易见的洞察力。这些结果为小提琴弓控制中的约束动作假设提供了新的支持，表明体细胞 FOA 是一种很有前途的弓弦技术性能增强策略。参与者在实验期间报告的想法提供了对受限行为方面是否在表演者的有意识思维中显而易见的洞察力。这些结果为小提琴弓控制中的约束动作假设提供了新的支持，表明体细胞 FOA 是一种很有前途的弓弦技术性能增强策略。参与者在实验期间报告的想法提供了对受限行为方面是否在表演者的有意识思维中显而易见的洞察力。这些结果为小提琴弓控制中的约束动作假设提供了新的支持，表明体细胞 FOA 是一种很有前途的弓弦技术性能增强策略。