Darrin is a good piano player. If he is alone, he gets distracted and makes mistakes. At a recital with strangers, he also makes mistakes. His best performance is typically when family and friends are nearby. This is an example of the
A) Yerkes-Dodson law.
B) set-point theory.
C) James-Lange theory.
D) Cannon-Bard theory.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is an example of the Yerkes-Dodson law, which states that performance increases with physiological or mental arousal, but only up to a certain point. Beyond that point, performance decreases as arousal becomes too high. In Darrin's case, being alone or in front of strangers does not provide enough arousal, while being in front of family and friends may provide just the right amount for optimal performance.

Darrin Is a Good Piano Player