How Does Stakes-Based Pressure Affect Performance? A Literature Review of the Yerkes–Dodson Hypothesis in Sport and Other Labor Settings

Abstract

In a seminal paper published in 1908, Yerkes and Dodson find a parabolic relationship between pressure and performance. However, evidence for the Yerkes–Dodson hypothesis outside of laboratory experiments is limited due to issues of the measurability and salience of pressure. In this paper, we review the empirical evidence supporting the seminal work of Yerkes and Dodson. Finally, we suggest that future research could focus on free throws in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball. We outline why NCAA free throws provide a setting in which pressure is both measurable and highly salient.

Keywords

basketball sports economics pressure choking behavioral economics psychology of performance Yerkes–Dodson law stakes-based pressure

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