Which principle states that performance increases with arousal only up to a point, after which performance declines?

• A. Weber's Law
• B. Yerkes-Dodson Law
• C. Law of Effect
• D. Habituation

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is how arousal affects performance in a non-linear way. The principle described by the Yerkes-Dodson Law is that performance improves with arousal up to an optimal point, but if arousal increases beyond that point, performance begins to drop. This inverted-U relationship means that for simple tasks, higher arousal can help by increasing alertness and quicker responses, while for complex tasks, too much arousal can hinder concentration and accuracy.

For example, you might perform a simple, routine task well with a bit of excitement, but solving a difficult problem when you’re extremely anxious often leads to mistakes. The law emphasizes the balance: not too little, not too much arousal.

The other options describe different ideas. Weber's Law is about the minimum noticeable difference between two stimuli—the just-noticeable difference—rather than how arousal affects performance. The Law of Effect is about learning, where behaviors followed by rewards are more likely to recur. Habituation refers to becoming less responsive to a repeated stimulus. None of these capture the specific arousal-performance relationship described here.