The Yerkes-Dodson Law: Optimizing Your Performance

In 1908, psychologists Robert M. Yerkes and John D. Dodson formulated what’s known as the Yerkes-Dodson Law. In essence, it refers to the relationship between performance and arousal levels. They argue that cognitive function and overall performance improve with increasing arousal levels up to a certain point. Beyond this point, they say, higher levels of arousal lead to a decline in performance. 

Why are we covering this? Well, it offers great insight into the importance of finding the right balance when it comes to our mental health and brain health. 

In today’s post, we’ll explain more about what the law is, what it refers to, and how it functions in the brain.