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Have you ever noticed how your motivation varies day by day, and sometimes hour by hour, depending upon what’s going on around you? If so, you have seen real live proof of the arousal theory of motivation. This theory states that we all have a certain level of arousal with which we are happy. This is our “optimum” level, and we are motivated (impelled) to maintain ourselves at that level. We will avoid a level that’s too high, and avoid a level that is too low.
The optimum level of arousal varies among people. This should not come as a surprise to anyone; all you need to do is look at the people in your family or your friends or your fellow employees to see how different we all are in the levels of arousal we seek. Cousin Joe spends his spare time driving a super powerful café style motorcycle; Uncle Harry, on the other hand, just likes to snooze in front of the television.
Our state of arousal is impacted by our physical, intellectual and our emotional experiences. The converse is also true, that is, we do the things we do because we are motivated to do them in our drive to maintain our optimum level of arousal. We want to maintain a certain level of arousal, and so we do (are motivated to do) the things that will keep us at that state of arousal.
A good example of this is my brother stopping his weekly paintball games. Paintball is a battle game in which players in teams shoot each other with special guns that fire small balls filled with paint. My brother shared with me that after one game, as he was driving home, he had to stop to check his heart rate, as it was racing out of control, he was still so aroused from the game. He decided to no longer play. Clearly the game created in him arousal in excess of his optimum level, the amount that made him happy.
I’ve had similar experiences at the rock gym. Looking down 35 feet to the ground, while hanging on with my finger tips and toes, sends my arousal level soaring. It soars even though I know I am tied in and have a trusted friend below belaying me. It becomes almost physically uncomfortable. I prefer the arousal I get from a kettle bell workout that forces me to give 100% of my effort, and leaves me achy and tired.
Arousal theory explains why some people are thrill seekers. The level of arousal that makes them happy is very high, so it takes extreme physical activities like paragliding or base jumping to make them happy.
But our arousal level isn’t related to just physical activities. It also relates to intellectual activities and emotional activities. Arousal theory can explain why some people love to learn, constantly reading non-fiction books, or collecting degrees. It can also explain the popularity of romance novels, as people seek to raise their emotional arousal to a level that makes them happy.
It’s fascinating to look at ourselves and get a handle on why we do things. Determining our own optimum level of arousal will help us understand why we do the things we do.
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Source by Bob Prentiss
