Mary's car just broke down, so she has to run the rest of the way to school and arrives 5 minutes late for her psychology exam. Her heart is pounding, and she can hardly catch her breath. According to arousal theory, how well will Mary perform on her exam if it is on material that is complicated and took a lot of time to understand?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to arousal theory, optimal performance on complex tasks occurs at lower levels of arousal. Since Mary is highly aroused (her heart is pounding, and she can hardly catch her breath), it is likely that her performance on a complicated exam will be negatively affected, leading to a poor performance.

Mary's Car Just Broke Down, So She Has to Run