Yerkes Dodson law
DESCRIPTION
Atheoretical inverted U-shaped relationshipbetweenan individual’s cognitive arousal and his or her task performance, where the individual’s task performance is highest at medium levels of arousal and lowest at both low and high levels of cognitive arousal.
Atheoretical inverted U-shaped relationshipbetweenan individual’s cognitive arousal and his or her task performance, where the individual’s task performance is highest at medium levels of arousal and lowest at both low and high levels of cognitive arousal.
KEY INSIGHTS
Developed in pioneering research by Yerkes and Dodson (1908), the Yerkes–Dodson law relates an individual’s cognitive arousal to his or her task performance and proposes that medium intensity stimulation provides an optimum level of arousal for the fastest and most effective learning by the individual. Drawing upon research in neuroscience and biopsychology, the law posits that too little stimulation results in a lack of motivation to perform a task, whereas too much stimulation results in distraction. The relationship proposed by the Yerkes–Dodson law, which is generally supported by research in marketing and psychology, suggests that two different processes influence task performance, the first being an energizing effect of cognitive arousal and the second being arousal’s negative, stress-inducing effect. Low arousal levels make it difficult for an individual to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information, leading to information overload and a lack of response by an individual.
Medium levels of arousal, on the other hand, enable an individual to ignore irrelevant information and focus better on the task at hand, while higher levels of arousal can lead to over-sensitization by an individual where the individual disregards relevant as well as irrelevant information.
Developed in pioneering research by Yerkes and Dodson (1908), the Yerkes–Dodson law relates an individual’s cognitive arousal to his or her task performance and proposes that medium intensity stimulation provides an optimum level of arousal for the fastest and most effective learning by the individual. Drawing upon research in neuroscience and biopsychology, the law posits that too little stimulation results in a lack of motivation to perform a task, whereas too much stimulation results in distraction. The relationship proposed by the Yerkes–Dodson law, which is generally supported by research in marketing and psychology, suggests that two different processes influence task performance, the first being an energizing effect of cognitive arousal and the second being arousal’s negative, stress-inducing effect. Low arousal levels make it difficult for an individual to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information, leading to information overload and a lack of response by an individual.
Medium levels of arousal, on the other hand, enable an individual to ignore irrelevant information and focus better on the task at hand, while higher levels of arousal can lead to over-sensitization by an individual where the individual disregards relevant as well as irrelevant information.
KEYWORDS Marketing stimuli, cognitive arousal, task performance
IMPLICATIONS
Marketers involved in presenting consumers with stimuli for inducing cognitive arousal as a means to encourage particular consumer actions can benefit from the communication principles suggested by the Yerkes–Dodson law. In particular, the law suggests that marketers should strive to avoid overwhelming consumers with relevant stimuli and information in marketing communications (e.g. sales pitches, advertising) as well as underwhelming them with information providing insufficient motivations for action, if the aim is to provide optimal levels of marketing stimuli to induce desired consumer actions.
Marketers involved in presenting consumers with stimuli for inducing cognitive arousal as a means to encourage particular consumer actions can benefit from the communication principles suggested by the Yerkes–Dodson law. In particular, the law suggests that marketers should strive to avoid overwhelming consumers with relevant stimuli and information in marketing communications (e.g. sales pitches, advertising) as well as underwhelming them with information providing insufficient motivations for action, if the aim is to provide optimal levels of marketing stimuli to induce desired consumer actions.
APPLICATION AREAS AND FURTHER READINGS
Marketing Communications
Day, Rong-Fuh, Shyi, Gary C.-W., andWang, Jyun-Cheng (2006). ‘The Effect of Flash Banners on Multiattribute Decision Making: Distractor or Source of Arousal?’ Psychology and Marketing, 23(5), 369–382.
Day, Rong-Fuh, Shyi, Gary C.-W., andWang, Jyun-Cheng (2006). ‘The Effect of Flash Banners on Multiattribute Decision Making: Distractor or Source of Arousal?’ Psychology and Marketing, 23(5), 369–382.
Tavassoli, N. T., Shultz, C. J., and Fitzsimons, G. J. (1995). ‘Program Involvement: Are Moderate Levels Best for Ad Memory and Attitude toward the Ad?’ Journal of Advertising Research, 35(5), 61–72.
Services Marketing
Singh, J., Goolsby, J. R., and Rhoads, G. K. (1994). ‘Behavioral and Psychological Consequences of Boundary Spanning: Burnout for Customer Service Representatives,’ Journal of Marketing Research, 31(4), 558–569.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Yerkes, R. M., and Dodson, J. D. (1908). ‘The Relation of Strength of Stimulus to Rapidity of Habit-Formation,’ Journal of Comparative Neurological Psychology, 18, 459–482.
Yerkes, R. M., and Dodson, J. D. (1908). ‘The Relation of Strength of Stimulus to Rapidity of Habit-Formation,’ Journal of Comparative Neurological Psychology, 18, 459–482.
Broadhurst, P. L. (1957). ‘Emotionality and the Yerkes–Dodson Law,’ Journal of Experimental Psychology, 54, 345–352.
Broadhurst, P. L. (1959). ‘The Interaction of Task Difficulty and Motivation: The Yerkes–Dodson Law Revisited,’ Acta Psychologica, 16, 321–338.