The expectancy effects of caffeine on cognitive performance
- UNCW Author/Contributor (non-UNCW co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- John E. Lothes II, Temporary EPA / Faculty (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW )
- Web Site: http://library.uncw.edu/
- Advisor
- Robert Hakan
Abstract: Numerous studies have been conducted on caffeine and its stimulant
effects. However, studies that have been conducted to examine the effects of caffeine on
alertness and memory have produced conflicting results. Several factors may be critical
in explaining these mixed results, one of them being dose level. Past research has shown
that performance improved with low doses of caffeine but higher doses of caffeine
hindered performance on mental rotation. The purpose of the present study was to test the
effects of caffeine under conditions that are better controlled than previous studies to
determine its dose-related effects on a mental rotation task and a paired-word verbal
memory task. Low levels of caffeine were predicted to improve performance on the
Mental Rotation and Verbal Short-Term Memory tasks and higher doses to produce a
decrement in performance on these tasks. “Average” caffeine consumers were recruited
with a screening survey. Subjects were administered caffeine in capsules (0mg/kg,
1mg/kg, 2mg/kg & 3mg/kg in capsules or 0mg/kg or 2mg/kg caffeine in a decaffeinated
cup of coffee). Procedural variables were controlled for that many past studies have failed
to control for, such as caffeine dose, participant’s weight, participant’s caffeine use
frequency, participant’s drug use history, time of day effects, influence that food
consumption may have on caffeine, gender effects and withdrawal effects.
The results showed that there were no significant differences in
performance between the dose groups. But when a cup of coffee condition was added,
performance for subjects given both decaffeinated coffee and caffeine coffee was
significantly better, or showed a trend for better performance, on the mental rotation task
and the paired-word task than did the capsule conditions. The results also agreed with past research that males performed significantly better than females on the mental
rotation and that females performed better on the task of verbal memory.
The expectancy effects of caffeine on cognitive performance
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Created on 1/1/2009
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Thesis
- A Thesis Submitted to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts
- Language: English
- Date: 2009
- Keywords
- Behavior--Drug effects, Brain--Effect of drugs on, Caffeine--Physiological effect, Performance
- Subjects
- Behavior -- Drug effects
- Caffeine -- Physiological effect
- Brain -- Effect of drugs on
- Performance
Title | Location & Link | Type of Relationship |
Title page, table of contents and abstract | http://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncw/f/lothesj2004-1.pdf | The described resource includes the related resource either physically or logically. |
References & Appendices | http://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncw/f/lothesj2004-3.pdf | The described resource includes the related resource either physically or logically. |