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Concept information

information entity > theoretical entity > scientific law > Yerkes-Dodson's law

Preferred term

Yerkes-Dodson's law  

Definition

  • A scientific law stipulating a reversed U-shaped relationship between cognitive performance and the level of arousal, that is, extreme arousal levels negatively impact performance, while moderate arousal levels lead positively impact performance.

Broader concept

Related concepts

Scope note

  • Yerkes and Dodson (1908; 1909) do not use the concept of arousal, contrary to the subsequent reinterpretation and reformulation of the law, but that of "strength of stimulus."

Belongs to group

Bibliographic citation(s)

  • • Diamond, D. M., Campbell, A. M., Park, C. R., Halonen, J., & Zoladz, P. R. (2007). 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. Neural Plasticity, 2007(1), 060803. https://doi.org/10.1155/2007/60803

    • Document type: literature review

    • Access: open

  • • Yerkes, R. M. (1909). Modifiability of behavior in its relations to the age and sex of the dancing mouse. Journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology, 19(3), 237–271. https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.920190303

    • Document type: empirical study

    • Access: closed

  • • Yerkes, R. M., & Dodson, J. D. (1908). The relation of strength of stimulus to rapidity of habit-formation. Journal of comparative neurology and psychology, 18(5), 459–482.

    • Document type: empirical study

    • Access: closed

Creator

  • Frank Arnould

In other languages

URI

http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/P66-NZ9KR4RW-Z

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