Caffeine and Its Effects: Does It Matter How We’re Feeling



Caffeine Consumption, Current Stress, and Negative Affect

Jean Nguyen

Mentor: Dr. Larry Jamner

Caffeine, widely believed to be a fairly harmless drug, is a substance of great significance in our society. Its pervasiveness is seen in its presence at the Starbucks coffee shops found on virtually every street corner in America as well as its presence in other commonly found forms such as chocolate, soft drinks, medication, and more recently, energy drinks. A substantial amount of research demonstrates that caffeine has effects on physiology, specifically alertness and cardiovascular conditions, however, little has been explored in terms of caffeine’s roles in the social, behavioral and emotional states of regular and irregular consumers. Current research also does not consider the possibility of different effects that caffeine may have on emotional states dependent on different levels of current stress. This study sought to determine whether or not the effects of caffeine on mood varied dependent on the stress of the consumer. The results indicate that higher levels of stress yielded more pronounced negative affect for caffeine consumers than non-consumers.

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