{"id":385,"date":"2024-02-27T17:09:50","date_gmt":"2024-02-27T22:09:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/psychologymtdi\/chapter\/the-optimal-arousal-model\/"},"modified":"2024-08-22T16:26:19","modified_gmt":"2024-08-22T20:26:19","slug":"the-optimal-arousal-model","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/psychologymtdi\/chapter\/the-optimal-arousal-model\/","title":{"raw":"The Optimal Arousal Model","rendered":"The Optimal Arousal Model"},"content":{"raw":"

[pb_glossary id=\"595\"]Approximate reading time[\/pb_glossary]: 3 minutes<\/p>\nOptimal Arousal Model<\/strong> builds on what we know about motivation. It says that we all have a \u201cjust right\u201d 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.\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_384\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"649\"]\"A Figure MO.10. Optimal arousal. <\/strong>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.[\/caption]\n\nSo, 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.\n\nBut 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<\/strong>, 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.\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_384\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"649\"]\"A Figure MO.11. Yerkes-Dodson law.<\/strong> 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\u00a0<\/span>10.7 as found in Psychology 2e by OpenStax<\/a>\u00a0is licensed under a\u00a0CC BY 4.0 License<\/a>.<\/span>[\/caption]\n\nFigure\u00a0<\/span>10.7 as found in Psychology 2e by OpenStax<\/a>\u00a0is licensed under a\u00a0CC BY 4.0 License<\/a>.<\/span>\n

Supplement MO.8: Case Study - Organising a Wilderness Camping Trip [New Tab]<\/a><\/div>\n

Image Attributions<\/h1>\nFigure MO.10. Figure <\/span>10.6 as found in\u00a0Psychology 2e by OpenStax<\/a>\u00a0is licensed under a\u00a0CC BY 4.0 License<\/a>.<\/span>\n\nFigure MO.11. Figure\u00a0<\/span>10.7 as found in Psychology 2e by OpenStax<\/a>\u00a0is licensed under a\u00a0CC BY 4.0 License<\/a>.<\/span>","rendered":"

Approximate reading time<\/a>: 3 minutes<\/p>\n

Optimal Arousal Model<\/strong> builds on what we know about motivation. It says that we all have a \u201cjust right\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

\"A
Figure MO.10. Optimal arousal. <\/strong>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.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n

\"A
Figure MO.11. Yerkes-Dodson law.<\/strong> 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\u00a0<\/span>10.7 as found in Psychology 2e by OpenStax<\/a>\u00a0is licensed under a\u00a0CC BY 4.0 License<\/a>.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Figure\u00a0<\/span>10.7 as found in Psychology 2e by OpenStax<\/a>\u00a0is licensed under a\u00a0CC BY 4.0 License<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Supplement MO.8: Case Study – Organising a Wilderness Camping Trip [New Tab]<\/a><\/div>\n

Image Attributions<\/h1>\n

Figure MO.10. Figure <\/span>10.6 as found in\u00a0Psychology 2e by OpenStax<\/a>\u00a0is licensed under a\u00a0CC BY 4.0 License<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Figure MO.11. Figure\u00a0<\/span>10.7 as found in Psychology 2e by OpenStax<\/a>\u00a0is licensed under a\u00a0CC BY 4.0 License<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

definition<\/span>