Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionHow It WorksPerformance EffectsFactors That Influence Arousal LevelsHow to Change

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Table of Contents

Definition

How It Works

Performance Effects

Factors That Influence Arousal Levels

How to Change

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What is it thatmovesus ordrivesus to do the things we do on a daily basis? There are manytheories of motivation, one of which focuses on arousal levels.

In simple terms, thearousal theory of motivationsuggests that people are driven toward situations and activities that will maintain anoptimumlevel of arousal, such as alertness, interest, and energy. If arousal levels are too high, people will seek to reduce tension and stress, and if arousal levels are too low, people will seek to increase energy and alertness.

In this article, you will learn more about what arousal theory is and how it works. We also explain factors that influence arousal, the effect of arousal on performance, and examples of how to change your arousal level so you can be in the optimal zone.

While arousal is a term often used to describe being “turned on” sexually, in psychology, arousal can be best explained as one’s overall level of alertness, attention, or energy level.

Motivation: The Driving Force Behind Our Actions

What Is Arousal Theory of Motivation?

What is Arousal Theory in Psychology?

Optimal Arousal For Motivation

Arousal levels can be explained as a spectrum, ranging from low to high, with lower levels indicating tiredness, boredom, or sadness, and higher levels indicating excitement, aggression, or anxiety. Somewhere in between, there is anoptimal arousal level for motivation, where you are essentially “in the zone,” operating in aflow state.

What exactly is the optimal level of arousal for motivation? Educators, coaches, and business managers have been trying to figure this out for decades. Come to find out, it varies from one individual to the next.According to the arousal theory of motivation,each person has a unique arousal levelthat is right for them.

Some people may require a higher level of arousal while others may do better with much lower arousal levels. You may be someone who becomes bored easily and needs more stimulation to hold your attention. Or you could be that person who prefers a calm environment and does not need high levels of stimulation to remain motivated.

You will know you are in the optimal range when your mental capacity, vigilance, attentiveness, processing speed, learning, and decision-making are at their best. Physiological markers such as endurance, speed, strength, and reaction time also have an optimal range of arousal for peak performance.

When arousal levels are withinyour ideal range, your motivation and performance on tasks, like taking a test or competing in sports, are optimized.

Three Types of Arousal

Arousal levels that affect motivation can be mental (cognitive), emotional, or physical—sometimes referred to as the three parts of arousal theory. All three are important, but individuals may require more or less of each type to feel motivated, depending on the situation.

Fun Fact About ArousalAs a function of our circadian rhythm, a chemical known asadenosinebuilds up in your brain throughout the day, making you feel sleepy. However, this molecule is metabolized and cleared away when you sleep, making quality snooze time a priority to ensure you can achieve optimal levels of arousal while you are awake.

Fun Fact About Arousal

As a function of our circadian rhythm, a chemical known asadenosinebuilds up in your brain throughout the day, making you feel sleepy. However, this molecule is metabolized and cleared away when you sleep, making quality snooze time a priority to ensure you can achieve optimal levels of arousal while you are awake.

How Arousal Theory Works

Instead of focusing on reducing tension as a means of motivation, arousal theory suggests that we strive to maintain anideal level of arousalthat requires an increase or decrease in activities to keep us alert, energized, and motivated.

One of the key assumptions of the arousal theory is that we are motivated to pursue actions that help us maintain an ideal balance. Similar to Goldilocks, we are motivated when arousal levels are not “too high,” not “too low”… but when they arejust right.

When we become overly aroused, we seek soothing activities that help calm and relax us. If we become under-aroused, we search for more invigorating activities that will stimulate and energize us. It’s all about striking the right balance, but that balance is unique to each individual.

The Psychology Behind Motivation

Arousal Theory and Performance

One of the popular assertions of this theory of motivation is that our levels of arousal can influence our performance. This concept is commonly referred to as theYerkes-Dodson Lawof 1908.The law states that increased levels of arousal will improve performance, but only up until the optimum arousal level is reached. After that point, performance begins to suffer as arousal levels increase. On a graph, this will look like an inverted U-shaped curve.

Higher arousal levels can sometimes help usperform better, but they can also impair performance if arousal levels are too high.

Additionally, if you’re doing a complex task, high or low levels of arousal will affect you more than if you’re doing something simple.

How to Change Your Arousal and Motivation

A person with low arousal needs might be motivated to pursue simple activities such as crocheting, spending time alone, journaling, or watching a movie in order to maintain their arousal levels. An individual with high arousal needs, on the other hand, might be motivated to seek out loud, upbeat music, physical activity, social stimulation, and even risky or thrilling activities such as motorcycle racing or skydiving in order to maintain their ideal levels.

If you need to raise your arousal levels, you mightseek stimulationwith activities like:

If you need to lower your arousal levels, you might select a more relaxing activity:

No matter what your arousal needs are, you will be motivated to act in order to maintain these levels. If you need more arousal, you will pursue actions designed to raise those levels. If you need less, you will seek out ways to calm down and relax.

‘Doing What You Love’: The Battle of Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic Motivation

7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Meehl PE.Needs (Murray, 1938) and state-variables(Skinner, 1938).Psychol Rep. 1992;70(2):407-450. doi:10.2466/pr0.1992.70.2.407American Psychological Association.Arousal theory.Allo Health.Understanding optimal arousal theory.Hull CL.Principles of behavior: An introduction to behavior theory.Appleton-Century; 1943.Yerkes RM, Dodson JD.The relation of strength of stimulus to rapidity of habit‐formation.J Comp Neurol Psychol. 1908;18(5):459-482. doi:10.1002/cne.920180503Sodhi K, Luthra M, Mehta D.Yerkes-Dodson law for flow: A study on the role of competition and difficulty in the achievement of flow.International Journal of Education & Management. 2016:6(1):95-98.Geen RG.Preferred stimulation levels in introverts and extroverts: Effects on arousal and performance.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.1984:46(6);1303–1312. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.46.6.1303

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Meehl PE.Needs (Murray, 1938) and state-variables(Skinner, 1938).Psychol Rep. 1992;70(2):407-450. doi:10.2466/pr0.1992.70.2.407American Psychological Association.Arousal theory.Allo Health.Understanding optimal arousal theory.Hull CL.Principles of behavior: An introduction to behavior theory.Appleton-Century; 1943.Yerkes RM, Dodson JD.The relation of strength of stimulus to rapidity of habit‐formation.J Comp Neurol Psychol. 1908;18(5):459-482. doi:10.1002/cne.920180503Sodhi K, Luthra M, Mehta D.Yerkes-Dodson law for flow: A study on the role of competition and difficulty in the achievement of flow.International Journal of Education & Management. 2016:6(1):95-98.Geen RG.Preferred stimulation levels in introverts and extroverts: Effects on arousal and performance.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.1984:46(6);1303–1312. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.46.6.1303

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Meehl PE.Needs (Murray, 1938) and state-variables(Skinner, 1938).Psychol Rep. 1992;70(2):407-450. doi:10.2466/pr0.1992.70.2.407American Psychological Association.Arousal theory.Allo Health.Understanding optimal arousal theory.Hull CL.Principles of behavior: An introduction to behavior theory.Appleton-Century; 1943.Yerkes RM, Dodson JD.The relation of strength of stimulus to rapidity of habit‐formation.J Comp Neurol Psychol. 1908;18(5):459-482. doi:10.1002/cne.920180503Sodhi K, Luthra M, Mehta D.Yerkes-Dodson law for flow: A study on the role of competition and difficulty in the achievement of flow.International Journal of Education & Management. 2016:6(1):95-98.Geen RG.Preferred stimulation levels in introverts and extroverts: Effects on arousal and performance.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.1984:46(6);1303–1312. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.46.6.1303

Meehl PE.Needs (Murray, 1938) and state-variables(Skinner, 1938).Psychol Rep. 1992;70(2):407-450. doi:10.2466/pr0.1992.70.2.407

American Psychological Association.Arousal theory.

Allo Health.Understanding optimal arousal theory.

Hull CL.Principles of behavior: An introduction to behavior theory.Appleton-Century; 1943.

Yerkes RM, Dodson JD.The relation of strength of stimulus to rapidity of habit‐formation.J Comp Neurol Psychol. 1908;18(5):459-482. doi:10.1002/cne.920180503

Sodhi K, Luthra M, Mehta D.Yerkes-Dodson law for flow: A study on the role of competition and difficulty in the achievement of flow.International Journal of Education & Management. 2016:6(1):95-98.

Geen RG.Preferred stimulation levels in introverts and extroverts: Effects on arousal and performance.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.1984:46(6);1303–1312. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.46.6.1303

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