Studying online (if an online offering is shown below)
There are now 2 possible online modes for units:
Units with modes Online timetabled and Online flexible are available for any student to self-enrol and study online.
Click on an offering mode for more details.
Unit Overview
- Description
Whether stepping onto a stage, into a court or boardroom, or up to the starting line, performance matters—and so does managing the anxiety that often accompanies it. This unit provides students with practical, research-informed skills for effective presentation and performance across a range of fields.
The unit explores the science behind performance anxiety, examining its physiological, emotional, and behavioural foundations. Through structured research, students investigate key psychological concepts—including mindset, perfectionism, secondary anxiety, deliberate practice, and metacognition—and engage with current scholarship in performance psychology relevant to their major discipline. This academic foundation supports an individual research project focused on one of these core areas.
In parallel with the research component, students experiment with evidence-based strategies drawn from performance domains such as the performing arts, public speaking, and elite sport. Techniques for managing performance anxiety are applied and refined across four key moments: in the lead-up, just before, during, and after a performance or presentation.
This unit equips students with effective strategies to manage performance-related stress and enhance presentation skills across a range of professional and academic contexts.
- Credit
- 6 points
- Offering
Availability Location Mode First year of offer Not available in 2025 UWA (Perth) On-campus - Details for undergraduate courses
- Level 3 elective
- Outcomes
Students are able to (1) explain physiological, emotional, and behavioural phenomena of performance anxiety; (2) undertake critical reading and independent research of performance skills from various fields; (3) explain and demonstrate practical aspects of performance skills; and (4) undertake critical self-reflection on their own practical presentations.
- Assessment
Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) research project; (2) quizzes; and (3) reflection on presentations. Further information is available in the unit outline.
Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.
- Unit Coordinator(s)
- Dr Gaby Gunders
- Unit rules
- Prerequisites
- Successful completion ofone level 2 6 points Unit(s)
- Contact hours
- 1 hour lecture + 1 hour tutorial / per week
- The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
- All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
- Visit the Essential Textbooks website to see if any textbooks are required for this Unit. The website is updated regularly so content may change. Students are recommended to purchase Essential Textbooks, but a limited number of copies of all Essential Textbooks are held in the Library in print, and as an ebook where possible. Recommended readings for the unit can be accessed in Unit Readings directly through the Learning Management System (LMS).
- Contact hours provide an indication of the type and extent of in-class activities this unit may contain. The total amount of student work (including contact hours, assessment time, and self-study) will approximate 150 hours per 6 credit points.
Face to face
Predominantly face-to-face. On campus attendance required to complete this unit. May have accompanying resources online.
Online flexible
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit is asynchronous delivery, with NO requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online timetabled
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit includes some synchronous components, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online Restricted
Not available for self-enrolment. Students access this mode by contacting their student office through AskUWA. 100% Online Unit.
NO campus face-to-face attendance. All study and assessment requirements are online only. Unit includes some timetabled activities, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times. In exceptional cases (noted in the Handbook) students may be required to participate in face-to-face laboratory classes when a return to UWA’s Crawley campus becomes possible in order to be awarded a final grade.
External
No attendance or regular contact is required, and all study requirements are completed either via correspondence and/or online submission.
Off-campus
Regular attendance is not required, but student attends the institution face to face on an agreed schedule for purposes of supervision and/or instruction.
Multi-mode
Multiple modes of delivery. Unit includes a mix of online and on-campus study requirements. On campus attendance for some activities is required to complete this unit.