Performance And The Yerkes-Dodson Law
Help clients understand how stress impacts their performance using insights from the Yerkes-Dodson Law.
Performance And The Yerkes-Dodson Law
This Performance And The Yerkes-Dodson Law resource explains how too much or too little stress can affect your performance. You can use this information to explore where your ‘zone of optimal performance’ might be.
Overview
The Yerkes-Dodson Law suggests that performance increases with mental arousal (stress) but only up to a point: when an individuals’ level of stress is too low or too high their performance deteriorates. This handout provides an overview of the Yerkes-Dodson Law. It describes the ways in which excessive effort can be unnecessary and unhelpful when working towards goals. It also introduces the idea of experimenting with one’s ‘zone of optimal performance’ and approaching tasks more flexibly.
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