{"id":486,"date":"2016-10-27T22:50:20","date_gmt":"2016-10-27T22:50:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-monroecc-hed110\/?post_type=chapter&p=486"},"modified":"2017-02-28T18:20:47","modified_gmt":"2017-02-28T18:20:47","slug":"yerkes-dodson-law","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-monroecc-hed110\/chapter\/yerkes-dodson-law\/","title":{"raw":"Yerkes-Dodson Law","rendered":"Yerkes-Dodson Law"},"content":{"raw":"
\r\n

Optimal Levels of Arousal (i.e. Stress)<\/h2>\r\nTheories of learning assert that there is an optimal level of arousal (stress) that we all try to maintain.\u00a0 If we are under-aroused, we become bored and will seek out some sort of stimulation.\u00a0 On the other hand, if we are over-aroused, we will engage in behaviors to reduce our arousal\/stress.\u00a0 Research shows that moderate arousal is generally best; when arousal (stress) is very high or very low, performance tends to suffer.\u00a0 The Yerkes\u2013Dodson law<\/b> is an empirical relationship between arousal and performance, originally developed by psychologists Robert M. Yerkes and John Dillingham Dodson in 1908.\u00a0 The law dictates that performance increases with physiological or mental arousal, but only up to a point.\u00a0 When levels of arousal become too high, performance decreases.\u00a0 The process is often illustrated graphically as a bell-shaped curve which increases and then decreases with higher levels of arousal.\r\n
\r\n
\r\n\r\n\"A\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nMost students have experienced this need to maintain optimal levels of arousal (stress) over the course of their academic career.\u00a0 Think about how much stress students experience toward the end of spring semester\u2014they feel overwhelmed with work and yearn for the rest and relaxation of summer break.\u00a0 Their arousal\/stress level may be too high.\u00a0 Once they finish the semester, however, it doesn\u2019t take too long before they begin to feel bored; their arousal level is too low and their level of performance or productivity is also typically lower.\u00a0 Generally, by the time fall semester starts, many students are ready to return to school.\u00a0 This is an example of how arousal theory works.\r\n\r\n\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"
\n

Optimal Levels of Arousal (i.e. Stress)<\/h2>\n

Theories of learning assert that there is an optimal level of arousal (stress) that we all try to maintain.\u00a0 If we are under-aroused, we become bored and will seek out some sort of stimulation.\u00a0 On the other hand, if we are over-aroused, we will engage in behaviors to reduce our arousal\/stress.\u00a0 Research shows that moderate arousal is generally best; when arousal (stress) is very high or very low, performance tends to suffer.\u00a0 The Yerkes\u2013Dodson law<\/b> is an empirical relationship between arousal and performance, originally developed by psychologists Robert M. Yerkes and John Dillingham Dodson in 1908.\u00a0 The law dictates that performance increases with physiological or mental arousal, but only up to a point.\u00a0 When levels of arousal become too high, performance decreases.\u00a0 The process is often illustrated graphically as a bell-shaped curve which increases and then decreases with higher levels of arousal.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\"A<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Most students have experienced this need to maintain optimal levels of arousal (stress) over the course of their academic career.\u00a0 Think about how much stress students experience toward the end of spring semester\u2014they feel overwhelmed with work and yearn for the rest and relaxation of summer break.\u00a0 Their arousal\/stress level may be too high.\u00a0 Once they finish the semester, however, it doesn\u2019t take too long before they begin to feel bored; their arousal level is too low and their level of performance or productivity is also typically lower.\u00a0 Generally, by the time fall semester starts, many students are ready to return to school.\u00a0 This is an example of how arousal theory works.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t

Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div>