Optimal arousal

Optimal arousal is a psychological construct referring to a level of mental stimulation at which physical performance, learning, or temporary feelings of wellbeing are maximized (Smith 1990). It can also be described as the degree of energy release and the intensity of readiness. Closely associated with the experience of flow from a psychological perspective, the construct is often used as the explanation for why people play or engage in leisure activities.

Early research was based upon the belief that behavior was always directed at satisfying needs. For example, the vigilance research, concerning the rates and causes of declining attention to a task, finds an individual will perform a skill most successfully when the level of arousal is optimal. On the other hand, a poor performance may be due to a low level of arousal and a depressed level of motivation. Animal studies reveal that the reticulate arousal system is responsible for arousing the cortex and is linked to certain...