Have you ever noticed you perform better when you are a little bitnervous?
The Yerkes-Dodson law in psychology suggests elevated arousal levels can improve performance.
Keep reading to learn why a little bit of stress can actually help you perform your best.
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How the Law Works
The Yerkes-Dodson Law suggests there is a relationship between performance and arousal.
Increased arousal can help improve performance up to a certain point.
At the point when arousal becomes excessive, performance diminishes.
The anxiety you experience before an exam is one example of how the Yerkes-Dodson Law operates.
Athletic performance offers another great example of the Yerkes-Dodson Law.
When a player getstoo stressed out, however, they may get nervous and miss the shot instead.
Observations
So, how do you determine what arousal level makes you perform best?
It is key to remember optimal arousal levels vary from one situation to the next.
Too much and too little arousal can also affect athletic performance.
Yerkes RM, Dodson JD.
The relation of strength of stimulus to rapidity of habit-formation.Journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology.
1908;18(5):459482.
Reprinted byClassics in the History of Psychology.
