Way back in 1908, psychologists Robert Yerkes and John Dillingham Dodson conducted a study in which rats were guided through a maze using mild electrical shocks. They found that when the rats received mild electric shocks, they tended to navigate the maze more quickly. When they received stronger shocks, they became over stimulated and failed to complete the maze. This became known as the Yerkes-Dodson Law, which dictates that performance increase with stress, but only to a certain point. Likewise, with too much or too little stress, performance decreases.
Based on the conclusion of this experiment, Bryan College has put together an infographic that covers workplace stress and how much stress is optimal for workplace productivity. The infographic provides actionable advice for business leaders on how to identify stress level in themselves and their employees, differentiate between eustress and distress as well as how to manage and reduce structural stressors. To learn more, check out the infographic below.
