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in 1908. The law dictates that performance increases with physiological or mental arousal, but only up to a point. When levels of arousal become too high, performance decreases. The process is often illustrated graphically as a bell-shaped curve which increases and then decreases with higher levels
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Because of task differences, the shape of the curve can be highly variable. For simple or well-learned tasks, the relationship is monotonic, and performance improves as arousal increases. For complex, unfamiliar, or difficult tasks, the relationship between arousal and performance reverses after a
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There has been research indicating that the correlation suggested by Yerkes and Dodson exists (such as that of
Broadhurst (1959), Duffy (1957), and Anderson et al (1988)), but a cause of the correlation has not yet successfully been established (Anderson, Revelle, & Lynch, 1989).
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for optimal performance. For example, difficult or intellectually demanding tasks may require a lower level of arousal (to facilitate concentration), whereas tasks demanding stamina or persistence may be performed better with higher levels of arousal (to increase motivation).
173:(LTP) (the process of forming long-term memories) is optimal when glucocorticoid levels are mildly elevated, whereas significant decreases of LTP are observed after adrenalectomy (low GC state) or after exogenous glucocorticoid administration (high GC state).
169:, GC) and human cognition revealed that memory performance vs. circulating levels of glucocorticoids does manifest an upside-down U-shaped curve, and the authors noted the resemblance to the Yerkes–Dodson curve. For example,
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It has also been shown that elevated levels of glucocorticoids enhance memory for emotionally arousing events but lead more often than not to poor memory for material unrelated to the source of stress/emotional arousal.
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version of the Yerkes–Dodson law (this version leaves out that hyperarousal does not adversely impact simple tasks). This version is the most common version and often incorrectly cited in textbooks.
313:"The Temporal Dynamics Model of Emotional Memory Processing: A Synthesis on the Neurobiological Basis of Stress-Induced Amnesia, Flashbulb and Traumatic Memories, and the Yerkes–Dodson Law"
85:, described as the "dancing mouse") was only referenced ten times over the next half century, yet in four of the citing articles, these findings were described as a psychological "law".
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Lupien SJ, Maheu F, Tu M, Fiocco A, Schramek TE (2007). "The effects of stress and stress hormones on human cognition: Implications for the field of brain and cognition".
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Anderson, K. J.; Revelle, W.; Lynch, M. J. (1989). "Caffeine, impulsivity, and memory scanning: A comparison of two explanations for the Yerkes–Dodson Effect".
109:. The upward part of the inverted U can be thought of as the energizing effect of arousal. The downward part is caused by negative effects of arousal (or
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Anderson KJ, Revelle W, Lynch MJ (1989). "Caffeine, impulsivity, and memory scanning: A comparison of two explanations for the Yerkes–Dodson Effect".
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This review also revealed that in order for a situation to induce a stress response, it has to be interpreted as one or more of the following:
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The effect of task difficulty led to the hypothesis that the Yerkes–Dodson Law can be decomposed into two distinct factors as in a
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Duffy, Elizabeth (1957). "The psychological significance of the concept of "arousal" or "activation"".
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Diamond, David M.; Adam M. Campbell; Collin R. Park; Joshua
Halonen; Phillip R. Zoladz (2007-03-28).
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actively opposes the Yerkes-Dodson law by demonstrating how the psyche operates on the principle
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Corbett, Martin (2015-08-10). "From law to folklore: work stress and the Yerkes-Dodson Law".
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Broadhurst, P. L. (1956). "Emotionality and the Yerkes–Dodson Law".
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A 2007 review by Lupien at al of the effects of stress hormones (
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point, and performance thereafter declines as arousal increases.
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or Yerkes-Dodson curve. The widely supported theory of optimal
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Original data from which the Yerkes–Dodson law was derived
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Other theories and models of arousal do not affirm the
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