A Critical Look at Three Arousal Constructs in Personality Theories

Abstract

The first statement of an optimal level of arousal construct in personality theory was in Freud’s constancy principle (Breuer & Freud, 1895/1937): There is a tendency to preserve at a constant level the intracerebral excitement. An excess of it becomes burdensome and annoying, and there arises an urge to consume it .... I believe we can also assume a level of the intracerebral tonic excitement, namely that it also has an optimum. On this level of tonic excitement, the brain is accessible to all external stimuli. (p. 143)