According to the Yerkes-Dodson law in developmental psychology, humans tend to perform best when they are:

• A. completely relaxed and not aroused at all
• B. experiencing no emotional stimulation
• C. experiencing a moderate level of arousal
• D. under extremely high levels of stress and arousal

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the Yerkes-Dodson law, which describes the relationship between arousal and performance, suggesting that performance improves with arousal up to an optimal point, after which it declines.
2. Recognize that 'arousal' in this context refers to physiological and psychological alertness or activation, not just emotional excitement.
3. Identify that very low arousal (e.g., being completely relaxed or unstimulated) typically leads to lower performance due to lack of motivation or alertness.
4. Note that extremely high arousal or stress can impair performance because it overwhelms cognitive and emotional resources.
5. Conclude that the best performance occurs at a moderate level of arousal, where an individual is alert and engaged but not overwhelmed.