Yerkes-Dodson法則認為，壓力與業(yè)績之間存在著一種倒U型關系，適度的壓力水平能夠使業(yè)績達到頂峰狀態(tài)，過小或過大的壓力都會使工作效率降低

　　Yerkes-Dodson法則（葉杜二氏法則）是心理學家葉克斯（R.M Yerkes）與杜德遜（J.D Dodson）經(jīng)實驗研究歸納出的一種法則，用來解釋心理壓力、工作難度與作業(yè)成績?nèi)咧g的關系。他們認為因為動機而產(chǎn)生的心理壓力，對作業(yè)表現(xiàn)具有促動功能，而其促動功能之大小，將因工作難度與壓力高低而異。在簡單易為的工作情景下，較高的心理壓力之下，將產(chǎn)生較佳的成績；在復雜困難的情緒擾亂認知性的心理活動所致，凡是復雜困難的工作，在工作程序上必定含有多種因素的交互配合的關系，如果心理壓力過高，思考稍有疏忽，就難免忙中出錯。簡單工作多屬重復性的活動，此種活動日久便會形成自動化的連鎖功能，至此地步，不須認知思考，若有心理壓力存在，不但不致影響自動化功能的進步，反而有可能使自動化的速度提升。

The Yerkes-Dodson law demonstrates an empirical relationship between arousal and performance. It dictates that performance increases with cognitive arousal, but only to a certain point: when levels of arousal become too high, performance will decrease. A corollary is that there is an optimal level of arousal for a given task.

耶斯基－道德森定律展示了喚醒水平和表現(xiàn)水平之間的經(jīng)驗關系。它規(guī)定了表現(xiàn)水平隨著認知的喚醒而增加，但只會增加到某一個固定的點，當喚醒水平過高時，表現(xiàn)就會下降。可以推知，對于給定的目標，存在著最佳的喚醒水平。

It is a scientific principle developed by psychologists Robert M. Yerkes and J. D. Dodson in 1908 and is grounded within the discourses of biopsychology and neuroscience.

這是一個由心理學家Robert M. Yerkes and J. D. Dodson在1908年基于對生物心理學和神經(jīng)科學的論述發(fā)展起來的科學原則。

Graph of Yerkes-Dodson Law

The process is often demonstrated graphically as an inverted U-shaped curve (curvilinear), increasing and then decreasing with higher levels of arousal. (However, there is also a linear component which proposes that in a simple task, performance increases with arousal. Therefore, in a simple task the relationship between arousal and performance is linear. According to the Yerkes-Dodson law, only in a difficult task is the relationship between arousal and performance curvilinear.)

這個過程通常被描述為一個倒U型的曲線，隨著喚醒水平的增加而先增后減。（然而，有存在著的一條線性的分量認為，在簡單任務中表現(xiàn)隨著喚醒水平而不斷上升。因此，在簡單任務中，喚醒和表現(xiàn)的關系是線性的。根據(jù)耶斯基－道德森法則，僅僅在具有難度的任務中，喚醒水平和表現(xiàn)水平才是曲線的。）

It has been proposed that different tasks may require different levels of arousal. For example, difficult or intellectually demanding tasks may require a lower level of arousal for optimal performance (to facilitate concentration), whereas tasks demanding stamina or persistence may be performed better with higher levels of arousal (to increase motivation).

研究表明，不同難度水平的任務可能要求不同程度的喚醒水平。例如：困難的或者要求智力成分的任務，要達到最佳的表現(xiàn)可能就要求較低的喚醒水平（以便于集中注意力），而對于要求耐力和持久力的任務來說，要想表現(xiàn)的更好則需要更高的喚醒水平（以增加動機）。

The effect of the difficulty of tasks later on led to the hypothesis that the Yerkes-Dodson Law can be decomposed into two distinct factors. The upward part of the converted U can be thought of as the energizing effect of arousal. The downward part on the other hand is caused by negative effects of arousal (or stress) on cognitive processes, like attention ("tunnel vision"), memory, and problem-solving.

對于困難任務的效應后來人們給出了這樣的一種假設，耶斯基－道德森定律能夠被劃分成兩個部分的因素。倒U型向上的部分被認為是喚醒因素的正向促進作用。而曲線另一側(cè)向下的部分則是喚醒（壓力）對于認知過程的負面效應所導致的，例如注意力，記憶力和問題解決能力等等。

There has been research indicating that the correlation suggested by Yerkes and Dodson exists (such as that of Broadhurst, 1959; Duffy, 1962; Anderson, 1988), but a cause of the correlation has not yet successfully been established (Anderson, Revelle, & Lynch, 1989).

盡管已有研究表明，耶斯基－道德森定律表明的這種相關性是確實存在的（如Broadhurst, 1959; Duffy, 1962; Anderson, 1988），但是對于這種相關產(chǎn)生的原因卻還沒有被完全發(fā)現(xiàn)（Anderson, Revelle, & Lynch, 1989）。

Despite some evidence to the contrary, the law is generally respected.

盡管有一些證據(jù)不支持這個定律，但總體上來說它還是被普遍認同和推崇的。