ABSTRACT
Jamieson and colleagues found that when people were told that physiological signs of stress (e.g., increased heart rate and extra physical energy) predict stronger performance, they performed more strongly on high-stakes standardized tests. Psychologists Yerkes and Dodson examined the relationship between anxiety arousal and performance. They found that when stress was too high or too low, performance weakened. A student does not care about an easy spelling test and, thus, does not care about her performance on the test. On the other side, when stress is too high, performance suffers. Authors want their students to be between these poles, as students experiencing an optimal level of stress can exhibit high performance levels because they are sufficiently aroused and perceive that they have the resources to succeed with the task at hand. This lesson addresses stress related to pre-performance anxiety or typical, everyday stress.
