Educational Psychology / Unit 7 EDP 0611 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Arousal and the Yerkes-Dodson Law
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The idea
Arousal theory holds that people try to maintain an optimal level of arousal. The Yerkes-Dodson law adds that performance is best at moderate arousal, with simple tasks done best at relatively high arousal and complex tasks at lower arousal.
In practice
Running laps benefits from pep; a calculus exam from calm.
Where people slip
Too little or too much arousal both lower performance.
Your place on the trail
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