Which statement best describes the inverted-U relationship between arousal and performance?

Which statement best describes the inverted-U relationship between arousal and performance?

• A. Arousal steadily improves performance as arousal increases.
• B. Performance declines as arousal increases from low to high.
• C. There is an optimal arousal level; performance improves up to a point, then declines with further arousal.
• D. Arousal has no effect on performance.

Answer: (C)

Arousal and performance follow an inverted-U pattern: there is an optimal level of arousal where performance is at its best, and too much arousal later impairs performance. When arousal is too low, you’re not sufficiently energized or alert, so response speed and accuracy tend to be limited. As arousal increases to a moderate level, focus, readiness, and reaction speed improve, boosting performance. If arousal becomes too high, anxiety, muscle tension, and distractibility can interfere with precise movements and decision making, causing performance to drop again. This idea—an optimal point where performance improves up to it and then declines with further arousal—best describes the relationship.

Arousal and performance follow an inverted-U pattern: there is an optimal level of arousal where performance is at its best, and too much arousal later impairs performance. When arousal is too low, you’re not sufficiently energized or alert, so response speed and accuracy tend to be limited. As arousal increases to a moderate level, focus, readiness, and reaction speed improve, boosting performance. If arousal becomes too high, anxiety, muscle tension, and distractibility can interfere with precise movements and decision making, causing performance to drop again. This idea—an optimal point where performance improves up to it and then declines with further arousal—best describes the relationship.