Analysis of Arousal in Motivational Psychology

The motivational concept of arousal is important to many areas of life; understanding motivational theories is important to work and personal life. This article will discuss the arousal theory of motivation, and how it would or would not apply to two workplace situations drawn from personal experience. This article will also assess the need to develop and create new theoretical models of motivation in today's changing work environment, discuss the ramifications of failing to meet this challenge, and consider the effects on personal satisfaction and productivity.

The arousal theory of motivation was developed in the 1960s, and it is based in neurophysiology shortly after the arousal system was found in the brain (Reeve, 2009). This motivational concept suggests that environmental factors impact the level of arousal in the brain. This determines the level of drive a person has towards or away from the factor. Low, optimal, and high levels of arousal are apparent in regard to these factors. Optimal levels occur when the arousal is not too little or too much. This theory suggests that people need an optimal amount of arousal to perform at peak levels. The arousal theory applies to many workplace situations, and it should be considered as a motivational concept in business.

The arousal there can easily be considered when analyzing motivational situations in the workplace. When work is very busy or very slow an employee's arousal level may not be at the optimal level for peak performance (Reeve, 2009). This would mean that an employee is not stimulated in a balanced amount to work at an effective and efficient manner.

Another workplace situation where the arousal may not be applicable in regards to motivation is a situation where an employee feels incredibly anxious in the work environment. An employee could be so nervous that the fear they can not perform a peak performance, but despite their anxiety they perform above peak performance. This is an example of when the arousal theory of motivation is not applicable because the amount of environmental stimuli was too much, but the employee performed much better than expected. This type of behavior leads to the need for new motivational concepts because today's workplace environment is constantly changing.

Constant changes impact how an employee feels towards a workplace environment. Theoretical models of motivation must be applicable to the changes in today's workplace environment because employees are constantly being asked to change as globalization and technology play a key role in business.

If a company fails to meet these challenges many ramifications can occur. Job satisfaction and productivity are important aspects of motivation that should be considered. When a company fails to meet the changes of motivation in todays workplace satisfaction and productivity are lost. A person must be able to feel comfortable despite environmental and internal forces.

Reference:

J, Reeve (2009). Understanding motivation and emotion. (5th ed.). New York: Wiley.