The Yerkes-Dadson Law is defined in the text book as, "inverted U shaped relation between arousal on the one hand, and mood and performance on the other" (429). What this law is getting at is there are two curves, one for simple tasks, and one for complex tasks. Each curve has a relative maximum point, and it is at that maximum point where output optimized. This means that for simple tasks, a higher arousal leads to a better output, and for a more complex task, less arousal leads to better output. For many people this many not translate to everyday life, but when growing up my coaches always tried to get me in the zone to play sports, and in school my teachers would try to get me in the zone for class. I never knew what that zone was. I had always assumed in sports you should be really pumped up, and in school you were expected to be calm and complacent. Due to my new understanding of Yerkes-Dadson Law, I know that each zone is a little bit different. In school, when engaging in large class participation discussions (simple task) it is ok to be a bit more excited, but when it comes to tests ( complex tasks) it is time to calm down and relax. As for sports, depending on what sport you're playing, and what position or role you have there are different levels of arousal to aim for. A quarterback in football, goalie in hockey or soccer, and the pitcher on the baseball team have complex tasks and need to be more relaxed. Whereas a linebacker, lineman, or running back in football or wing in hockey has the ability and leeway be more excited relative to the previous positions. This is important because I hope to coach sports at some level, whether it be my kids someday, or something more competitive. The Yerkes-Dadson Law is something I hope to remember five or more years from now. Does this have any impact on your life, or can anyone relate to this growing up?
I think concepts like this should be taught at a younger age. I say this because by knowing this type of thing, will tell you how you can be the most productive at what you are trying to accomplish, and being the most productive you can be is a very difficult thing to grasp. Even if you aren't particularly good at one thing, as long as you are in the correct mood to be the best you can be at it will make a substantial difference in how you complete such task.