Yerkes-Dodson Law: Harnessing the Power of Optimal Arousal

In the intricate ballet of the human psyche, performance and arousal intertwine in a delicate pas de deux. At the heart of this dance lies the Yerkes-Dodson Law, a psychological principle as enduring as it is enigmatic. First posited over a century ago, this law suggests that our performance peaks under an optimal level of arousal—not too little, not too much, but just enough to invigorate without overwhelming.

As we delve into the nuances of this seminal theory, we embark on a journey through the ebb and flow of stress and stimulation, exploring how they shape our ability to think, learn, and excel. From the hushed corridors of research labs to the clamor of everyday life, the Yerkes-Dodson Law offers a lens through which to view our successes and setbacks, our focus and falterings.

Join us as we unravel the threads of this psychological tapestry, tracing the contours of arousal that can either propel us to greatness or tether us to mediocrity. Welcome to the exploration of the Yerkes-Dodson Law—a timeless narrative of human potential.

Introduction: How Arousal Influences Performance

The Yerkes-Dodson Law proposes that we reach a peak level of performance with an intermediate level of arousal. ​The Yerkes-Dodson law is also known as the inverted-U model of arousal. 

Imagine a young boy playing in his first year of baseball. He struggles to stay attentive while positioned in the outfield. At his age, rarely does a ball skip past the infield. The boy dances, picks grass, and watches the train behind the field. However, when he is at bat, the pitches go by so fast. He wants to hit the ball but his lack of confidence freezes his action, and he swings late. Arousal plays a significant role in the different aspects of this young boys game. Too little and he is bored, too much and it impacts his learning.

Two researchers in 1908 stumbled on the impact of arousal on learning while conducting experiments with mice. From their research the Yerkes-Dodson law emerged.

Discriminating Learning Experiments

The experiment conducted by Robert M. Yerkes and John Dillingham Dodson that led to the formulation of the Yerkes-Dodson Law involved “discrimination learning” with dancing mice. In their 1908 study, they investigated how different levels of electric shocks would affect the mice’s ability to learn to discriminate between two boxes, one colored white and the other black.

The mice were placed in a wooden box with two chambers, one painted white and the other black. They were given a choice to enter either chamber. If they entered the black chamber, they received a mild electric shock. The goal was to determine the relationship between the strength of the stimulus (the electric shock) and the speed at which the mice learned to avoid the black chamber and choose the white one instead.

Yerkes and Dodson found that a moderate level of arousal (induced by the electric shock) was most effective for learning; too little or too much arousal would impair the learning process. This led to the understanding that performance increases with physiological or mental arousal up to a point, after which performance declines—a relationship depicted as an inverted U-shaped curve, known as the Yerkes-Dodson Law.

According to the law, Yerkes and Dodson hypothesized that arousal increases our ability to form a habit or perform a task. Arousal (or stress) motivates. However, when arousal reaches a certain point, performance and learning begins to deteriorate. The stress interferes, frightens and distracts (Yerkes-Dodson, 1908). 

What is the Optimal Stress Level?

Research has found that that optimal levels of stress vary between people and tasks. We may perform well in one area of life while under tremendous stress, while in other areas the minimal stress overwhelms.

Arthur Markman PhD, professor of psychology at the University of Texas, explains, “At low levels of arousal, you’re just not that interested in the goal, so you don’t put in much effort to achieve it. At high levels of arousal, you have so much energy that you have difficulty staying focused on the task at hand (which I called panic). In the middle, there is a sweet spot where you’re able to focus on the goal and get a lot accomplished” (Markman, 2015). Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi also proposes an optimal state of arousal for experiencing flow. He explains that too little arousal and a task does not demand attention. Comparatively, too much arousal then the task creates frustration.

Steven Southwick and Dennis Charney explain that according to the stress response theory, “An optimal stress response activates rapidly in response to threat, rises high enough to respond appropriately to danger but not so high as to cause incapacitating anxiety and fear, and then deactivates in a timely fashion” (Southwick & Charney, 2018).

Some generalities exist. For example, intellectually demanding tasks may require a lower level of arousal to facilitate concentration, whereas tasks demanding stamina or persistence may require higher levels of arousal to increase motivation.

Practical Applications

The Yerkes-Dodson Law, with its principle of optimal arousal for peak performance, has several practical applications across different fields. Here are some ways this law can be applied:

• Education: Teachers can use the law to create an optimal learning environment by balancing the challenge level of tasks with the arousal levels of students to maximize engagement and learning outcomes.
• Workplace Productivity: In organizational behavior, the law can help managers determine the right amount of pressure and motivation needed for employees to achieve their best performance without causing burnout.
• Sports Performance: Athletes can use the law to find the right balance between relaxation and arousal to achieve peak performance during competitions.
• Stress Management: The law serves as a guide for individuals to understand and manage their stress levels, recognizing when stress is beneficial and when it becomes detrimental to performance.
• Decision-Making and Problem-Solving: Understanding one’s optimal arousal level can enhance decision-making and problem-solving abilities by ensuring that stress levels are conducive to cognitive functioning.

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These applications demonstrate the wide-ranging impact of the Yerkes-Dodson Law on improving performance and well-being in various aspects of life.

Narrative Example

Imagine Sarah, a seasoned pianist, preparing for a prestigious international competition. She has honed her skills for years, but as the event draws near, her nerves begin to fray. Sarah knows that a certain level of excitement is necessary to deliver a passionate performance. However, too much arousal could lead to mistakes.

In the weeks leading up to the competition, Sarah practices diligently, but she also focuses on managing her arousal levels. She uses breathing techniques to calm her nerves and visualization to boost her confidence. On the day of the performance, Sarah feels a flutter of nerves—a sign that her arousal is at an optimal level, enough to keep her alert and focused without tipping into anxiety.

As she steps onto the stage, the Yerkes-Dodson Law comes to life. Her fingers dance across the keys with precision and emotion, striking the delicate balance between the technical mastery and the expressive passion required for a captivating performance. The audience is spellbound, and Sarah knows she has hit the sweet spot of arousal that the Yerkes-Dodson Law encapsulates—the perfect harmony of peak performance and optimal stress.

Criticisms

The Yerkes-Dodson Law received very little attention until the 1950’s. For the following few decades, it was elevated to the status of psychological law without any supporting replicating studies. In a much more recent paper, in describing the Yerkes-Dodson Law, the authors wrote, “Psychology has long been haunted by common-sense theories of behaviour which “are not necessarily incorrect, but compared to articulate models they focus on descriptions rather than explanations and are therefore very hard to prove wrong” (Corbett, 2015).

The Yerkes-Dodson Model falls into this category. Certainly, there is some truth to the observation in some situations. However, how and when to apply the model is much more complicated.

Associated Concepts

• Arousal Theory of Motivation: This theory suggests that people are driven to perform actions in order to maintain an optimal level of physiological arousal.
• Processing Efficiency Theory: This theory explains how anxiety can impact cognitive performance. It suggests that anxiety can reduce the efficiency with which individuals process information, leading to impaired performance.  
• Selective Attention and Filtering: This concept explores how the mind selective attends to the environment to perform as a filter that selects and admits channels of information to be processed.
• Working Memory: The theory posits that working memory and attention are intertwined. Moreover, it posits that we have individual differences in the ability to control attention.
• Executive Control: ACT proposes two main mechanisms involved in attentional control—orienting, which involves the rapid allocation of attention to relevant stimuli, and executive control, which is responsible for maintaining attention on tasks.
• Attention Control Theory: This theory presents a psychological framework to examine the influence of anxiety on an individual’s ability to maintain attention on tasks. It posits that anxiety can disrupt the balance between two types of attentional systems: the goal-directed system, which is under voluntary control, and the stimulus-driven system, which is automatic and reactive to external stimuli.
• Cognitive Load Theory: This is a learning theory that suggests that the mode of presenting information to students can create an excessive cognitive load interfering with their ability to learn. The theory explores how the human mind processes information and its impact on learning and problem-solving.

A Few Words by Psychology Fanatic

This century-old principle continues to resonate within the realms of psychology, education, and beyond, reminding us that balance is not just a concept but a practical necessity. The Yerkes-Dodson Law serves as a guide. The model illuminates the path to optimal performance. Accordingly, we should construct environments that manage stress. It teaches us that the key to unlocking our full potential lies not in the extremes but in the harmonious middle ground. In the middle we find that sweet spot where our abilities and arousal levels meet.

Whether it be studying for an exam, preparing for a presentation, or competing in an athletic event, we perform better when we find our optimal level of arousal and, in doing so, we might also achieve the peak performance we seek.

Last Update: June 29, 2025

References:

Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly (2008). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (Harper Perennial Modern Classics). HarperCollins e-books; 1st edition. (Return to Article)

Corbett, Martin (2015). From law to folklore: work stress and the Yerkes-Dodson Law. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 30(6), 741-752. DOI: 10.1108/jmp-03-2013-0085 (Return to Article)

Markman, Art (2015). Smart Change: Five Tools to Create New and Sustainable Habits in Yourself and Others. ‎TarcherPerigee; Reprint edition. (Return to Article)

Southwick, Steven, Charney, Dennis (2018) Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges. Cambridge University Press; 2 edition. (Return to Article)

Yerkes, Richard; Dodson, John D. (1908). The relation of strength of stimulus to rapidity of habit-formation. Journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology. DOI: 10.1002/cne.920180503 (Return to Article)