What does the optimum arousal theory propose about motivation?

What does the optimum arousal theory propose about motivation?

• A. Motivation results from cognitive dissonance reduction
• B. People are motivated to maintain an optimal level of arousal; too little or too much arousal reduces performance
• C. Motivation is driven solely by rewards
• D. Motivation is determined by fear avoidance

Answer: (B)

Motivation here is about keeping arousal at an ideal level. Performance tends to improve as arousal increases, but only up to a point; once arousal becomes too high (or too low), performance drops. This creates an inverted-U relationship, meaning people are motivated to seek stimulation when they’re under-aroused and to calm down when they’re over-aroused, aiming for that balance that maximizes performance. Other ideas focus on different drives—cognitive dissonance reduction is about aligning beliefs with actions, incentive-based theories emphasize rewards, and fear avoidance centers on steering clear of threats—none of which specifically describe balancing arousal to optimize performance.

Motivation here is about keeping arousal at an ideal level. Performance tends to improve as arousal increases, but only up to a point; once arousal becomes too high (or too low), performance drops. This creates an inverted-U relationship, meaning people are motivated to seek stimulation when they’re under-aroused and to calm down when they’re over-aroused, aiming for that balance that maximizes performance. Other ideas focus on different drives—cognitive dissonance reduction is about aligning beliefs with actions, incentive-based theories emphasize rewards, and fear avoidance centers on steering clear of threats—none of which specifically describe balancing arousal to optimize performance.