Abstract
Rob Neiss reviews arousal–performance research and argues the inverted-U is psychologically trivial — incentive and threat states can share arousal levels yet produce opposite performance outcomes.
Neiss, R. (1988). Psychological Bulletin, 103(3), 345–366. DOI
Key findings
- Weak inverted-U — Intermediate arousal rarely maps cleanly to optimal performance across tasks.
- State not dial — Anxiety can debilitate at the same arousal level that helps when framed as challenge.
- Individual variance — Response expectancies and self-induction shape which state follows a demand.
Limits
Motor-performance emphasis — extrapolation to cognitive work is interpretive, not direct replication.
Application
When more pressure stops helping, stop chasing a mythical perfect arousal level — rename the state (challenge vs threat) and adjust framing. See Pressure.