Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Optimal Arousal Theory01:23

Optimal Arousal Theory

564
The optimal arousal theory suggests that performance is maximized when an individual experiences a moderate level of arousal. This theory is closely tied to the Yerkes-Dodson law, which illustrates an inverted U-shaped relationship between arousal and performance. The law, formulated by psychologists Robert Yerkes and John Dodson, implies an ideal arousal level for optimal performance, and deviations from this level can lead to declines in effectiveness.
Inverted U-Shaped Performance Curve
The...
564

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Low frequency blood-oxygen-level-dependent oscillations, <i>APOE4,</i> and plasma pTau<sub>217</sub>.

Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD·2026
Same author

Distinct Brain Systems Support Afferent and Efferent Autonomic Activity.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Reconstructing physiological signals from fMRI across the adult lifespan.

Proceedings of SPIE--the International Society for Optical Engineering·2026
Same author

About time? The role of time perspective in the priority for positive over negative emotion in attention.

Cognition & emotion·2026
Same author

Baseline Depressive Symptoms and Heart Rate Variability Indices Predict HRV Biofeedback Outcomes in Young Adults with Depression.

Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback·2026
Same author

Daily Paced Breathing Sessions Induce Left Orbitofrontal Volume Changes Linked to Cognitive Outcomes.

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 13, 2025

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
10:38

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

Published on: July 16, 2015

13.9K

Age differences in vulnerability to distraction under arousal.

Sara N Gallant1, Kelly A Durbin2, Mara Mather3

  • 1Leonard Davis School of Gerontology.

Psychology and Aging
|August 4, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Older adults are more distracted by emotionally arousing stimuli than younger adults. This increased distractibility in aging may stem from altered interactions between top-down and bottom-up attentional processes.

More Related Videos

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Impairing Effect of Emotion on Cognition
16:08

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Impairing Effect of Emotion on Cognition

Published on: February 1, 2012

16.6K
The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test rPVT: A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice
07:47

The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test rPVT: A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice

Published on: December 29, 2016

12.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 13, 2025

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
10:38

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

Published on: July 16, 2015

13.9K
Brain Imaging Investigation of the Impairing Effect of Emotion on Cognition
16:08

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Impairing Effect of Emotion on Cognition

Published on: February 1, 2012

16.6K
The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test rPVT: A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice
07:47

The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test rPVT: A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice

Published on: December 29, 2016

12.6K

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Psychology of Aging

Background:

  • Aging impacts neural circuits governing inhibition and arousal.
  • Understanding how emotional arousal affects attention in older adults is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare distractibility by emotional stimuli in older versus younger adults.
  • To investigate how arousal modulates processing of preceding neutral stimuli.
  • To explore the role of attentional control in arousal-modulated distraction.

Main Methods:

  • Participants performed a 1-back task with neutral or taboo distractor words superimposed on target pictures.
  • Evaluated concurrent task performance and subsequent memory for distractors.
  • Assessed processing of neutral distractors preceded by taboo words (taboo-minus-1 distractors) under varying attentional loads.

Main Results:

  • Older adults exhibited greater distraction by taboo words and better recall of taboo distractors compared to young adults.
  • Young adults effectively suppressed taboo-minus-1 distractors, while older adults did not.
  • Attentional load eliminated the arousal benefit for young adults' suppression of taboo-minus-1 distractors.

Conclusions:

  • Aging increases susceptibility to distraction from emotionally arousing stimuli.
  • Arousal's effect on distractibility in aging is linked to the interplay of top-down and bottom-up attentional mechanisms.
  • Attentional control is critical for modulating arousal's impact on cognitive processing.