Chapter 13. Motivation

The Optimal Arousal Model

Jessica Motherwell McFarlane

Approximate reading time: 3 minutes

Optimal Arousal Model builds on what we know about motivation. It says that we all have a “just right” level of alertness and energy that helps us do our best (Figure MO.10). If we’re not alert enough, we get bored and look for something to wake us up. If we’re too alert, or stressed, we try to find ways to relax (Berlyne, 1960). You’ve probably felt this during your time at school. Think about the end of the spring semester when everything seems to pile up. You might be stressed, trying to finish all your work. Then, summer comes, and you relax. But after a while, you start to feel bored. By the time Fall rolls around, maybe you are actually ready to get back to school. That’s the Optimal Arousal Model in action.

A line graph has an x-axis labeled “arousal level” with an arrow indicating “low” to “high” and a y-axis labeled “performance quality” with an arrow indicating “low” to “high.” A curve charts optimal arousal. Where arousal level and performance quality are both “low,” the curve is low and labeled “boredom or apathy.” Where arousal level is “medium” and “performance quality is “medium,” the curve peaks and is labeled “optimal level.” Where the arousal level is “high” and the performance quality is “low,” the curve is low and is labeled “high anxiety.”
Figure MO.10. Optimal arousal. The concept of optimal arousal in relation to performance on a task is depicted here. Performance is maximised at the optimal level of arousal, and it tapers off during under- and over-arousal. This figure shows this idea. It says that we do our best when our level of alertness is just right. If we’re too relaxed or too stressed, we don’t do as well.

So, what’s this perfect level of alertness? Researchers have found that it is usually somewhere in the middle between really relaxed and really stressed (Yerkes & Dodson, 1908). Think about how you feel when you’re taking an exam. If you’re too relaxed, you might not do well because you don’t care enough. But if you’re too nervous, you might freeze up and not do well either. It’s like a softball team that’s so sure they’ll win, they don’t get pumped up for the game and end up losing to a team that’s not as good.

But it’s not always as simple as finding a middle ground. Researchers Robert Yerkes and John Dodson found that the best level of alertness depends on how hard the task is (Figure MO.11). They say that for easy tasks, it’s better to be more alert. But for hard tasks, it’s better to be less alert. This relationship is known as Yerkes-Dodson law, which holds that a simple task is performed best when arousal levels are relatively high and complex tasks are best performed when arousal levels are lower.

A line graph has an x-axis labeled “arousal level” with an arrow indicating “low” to “high” and a y-axis labeled “performance quality” with an arrow indicating “low” to “high.” Two curves charts optimal arousal, one for difficult tasks and the other for easy tasks. The optimal level for easy tasks is reached with slightly higher arousal levels than for difficult tasks.
Figure MO.11. Yerkes-Dodson law. Task performance is best when arousal levels are in a middle range, with difficult tasks best performed under lower levels of arousal and simple tasks best performed under higher levels of arousal. It says that for tough tasks, you do better when you’re not too stressed. But for simple tasks, a bit more excitement can help you do better. Figure 10.7 as found in Psychology 2e by OpenStax is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License.

Figure 10.7 as found in Psychology 2e by OpenStax is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License.

Supplement MO.8: Case Study – Organising a Wilderness Camping Trip [New Tab]

Image Attributions

Figure MO.10. Figure 10.6 as found in Psychology 2e by OpenStax is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License.

Figure MO.11. Figure 10.7 as found in Psychology 2e by OpenStax is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License.

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The Optimal Arousal Model Copyright © 2024 by Jessica Motherwell McFarlane is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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