Effects of Stress on Performance - Relation between Stress and Performance

Stress can sometimes improve performance and sometimes reduce it. Up to a certain point, an increase in stress may help a person to work better. Beyond that point, further increases in stress become harmful, and performance goes down.

Low level of stress

• The person may feel bored, uninterested or lazy.
• Motivation is low, and performance is usually poor.

Moderate level of stress

• The person feels alert and focused.
• This level of stress activates the person and often leads to good or optimal performance.

High level of stress

• The person may feel tense, anxious, confused or overwhelmed.
• Because of this, performance tends to decline.​

Thus, stress is helpful only up to a certain moderate level. Too little or too much stress usually reduces performance.

• Stress does not affect all people in the same way.
• Some people can tolerate more stress and still perform well, while others show a drop in performance even at lower levels of stress.​
• Personality, past experience, coping skills and the nature of the task influence how much stress is helpful or harmful.

Therefore, one should not generalise the effect of stress on performance to all people and all situations.

Performance is not determined by stress alone. It also depends on:

• The person’s ability, knowledge and skills
• Amount of practice and preparation
• Physical health, fatigue and rest
• Motivation and interest in the task
• Support from family, friends and teachers

Because of these factors, the same level of stress can lead to different levels of performance across individuals and tasks.

• Stress can both improve and reduce performance, depending on its level.
• Very low stress and very high stress are usually linked with poor performance.
• A moderate amount of stress is generally most helpful for performance.
• The effect of stress on performance varies from person to person and from situation to situation, so it should not be overgeneralised.