When an individual's arousal level is low, their performance quality on a task is also low. This state of underarousal is characterized by feelings of boredom or apathy.

Low Arousal and Performance

When an individual's arousal level is high, their performance quality on a task drops significantly. This state of overarousal is characterized by high anxiety.

High Arousal and Performance

Performance on a task is maximized at a medium, optimal level of arousal. Performance quality tapers off during states of underarousal and overarousal.

Google

Arousal is the global level of alertness of the individual. It is distinct from attention in that it is not selective to a certain stimulus or stimuli, it is simply the overall level of alertness.

Arousal

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

For those who experience ASMR and are low in conscientiousness, their heart rate (HR) more often decreases than those who don’t experience ASMR. For those low in conscientiousness, increased EDA, decreased theta power, and increased beta power may show that ASMR relates to arousal and focused attention.

ASMR and Conscientiousness

The Yerkes-Dodson law, discovered by researchers Robert Yerkes (pronounced 'Yerk-EES') and John Dodson, establishes that the ideal level of arousal for performance is not constant but varies based on a task's difficulty and complexity. According to this law, simple or well-learned tasks are performed most effectively when arousal levels are relatively high, whereas complex or difficult tasks require lower levels of arousal to achieve peak performance. The general relationship between arousal and performance often follows an inverted U-shaped curve, where moderate arousal yields optimal results compared to extremes like apathy or high anxiety.

Yerkes-Dodson Law

A student drinks three strong cups of coffee right before a lecture. During the class, they feel physically jittery, their heart is racing, and they feel generally 'on edge' and hyper-aware of the classroom environment. However, they find it very difficult to focus on the professor's specific arguments. The student's overall state of heightened physiological and psychological activation is best described as an increase in which of the following?

Learn Before

Related

Learn After