How Emotions Impede or Enable Performance
Emotion isn’t just a background factor in learning and performance—it is a core driver of attention, memory, and decision-making. Whether we realize it or not, stress, anxiety, confidence, and excitement shape how well we process information, solve problems, and apply skills. This session explores the cognitive science behind emotion and performance, revealing how emotional states influence working memory capacity, motivation, and cognitive flexibility.
Through an evidence-based look at research on stress, arousal regulation, and the role of neurotransmitters like cortisol and dopamine, we’ll examine why strong emotions can either enhance or degrade performance. We’ll also explore a simple yet powerful approach used by NASA astronauts, police officers, and other high-stakes professionals to maintain focus and perform at a high level under pressure. More than just theory, this session will provide a deep understanding of the mechanisms that connect emotion, cognition, and learning—insights essential for anyone designing or delivering training.
Your people will learn how to:
- Explain the cognitive mechanisms linking emotion and performance, including how emotional states influence memory, attention, and problem-solving.
- Describe the impact of stress, anxiety, and confidence on working memory capacity, and how this affects learning and decision-making.
- Analyze the role of neurotransmitters like cortisol and dopamine, understanding their effects on cognitive function under pressure.
- Recognize why emotional arousal can either enhance or impair performance, and how different levels of arousal affect various types of tasks.
- Examine a simple, science-based approach used by NASA astronauts, police officers, and other high-performance professionals to regulate emotion and maintain focus in high-pressure situations.
- Identify practical implications of emotion-performance research, providing insight into how learning environments can be designed to optimize engagement and cognitive function.
About BCL
Understanding how people learn isn't always enough. To get projects done and make sure you target the right goals, you have to navigate complex organizations and their social environments. That's where consulting experience is a huge advantage. We combine deep understanding of learning with practical management consulting experience. This is the key to delivering high end learning experiences that move the dial.
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