Which statement is supported by the Inverted U Theory?

Which statement is supported by the Inverted U Theory?

• A. Performance Is Best At Zero Stress
• B. Performance Peaks At An Optimal Stress Level, Then Declines With More Stress
• C. Performance Increases Linearly With Stress
• D. Higher Stress Always Improves Performance

Answer: (B)

Performance responds to arousal in a non-linear way. When arousal is too low, you’re not fully engaged, so performance isn’t at its best. As arousal rises to a moderate, optimal level, attention, energy, and cognitive efficiency improve, boosting performance. But if stress increases beyond that point, anxiety and cognitive overload begin to impair working memory and focus, causing performance to decline. So the statement that best fits is that performance peaks at an optimal stress level, then declines with more stress. The other ideas—best at zero stress, a simple linear rise with stress, or higher stress always improving—don’t match how arousal affects performance.

Performance responds to arousal in a non-linear way. When arousal is too low, you’re not fully engaged, so performance isn’t at its best. As arousal rises to a moderate, optimal level, attention, energy, and cognitive efficiency improve, boosting performance. But if stress increases beyond that point, anxiety and cognitive overload begin to impair working memory and focus, causing performance to decline. So the statement that best fits is that performance peaks at an optimal stress level, then declines with more stress. The other ideas—best at zero stress, a simple linear rise with stress, or higher stress always improving—don’t match how arousal affects performance.