Differential Effects of Shock Arousal on Motor Performance

Abstract

This study investigated the ideas that behaviour varies along two independent continua, direction and intensity. Three groups, of 20 females each, performed 15 trials on a ball-snatch task from which reaction time and movement time could be measured. The administration of shock on the middle five trials served to increase arousal level in two of the groups. These two groups differed in that instructions from E served to make the shock either related or unrelated to the task. There was no difference in the initial performance scores of the three groups. However, the shock-related group was significantly faster than either of the other two groups during the shock condition. There was no meaningful difference in performance between the control group and the unrelated-shock group. The results were discussed in terms of activation theory.