Examining the effects of caffeine during an auditory attention task.

Tyler B Kruger, Mike J Dixon, Jonathan M Oakman, Daniel Smilek

Journal: Consciousness and cognition 2024;124():103729

PMID: 39098270

Free Full Text on Elsevier Science View on PubMed

Abstract

Participants completed two sessions of an auditory attention task and intermittently responded to thought probes asking about their level of mind-wandering. After the first session one group received 200 mg of caffeinated chewing gum (n = 61) and another group received regular (placebo) chewing gum (n = 66). The gum was chewed for 20-minutes and then disposed of before beginning the second session. Participants who received caffeine showed a performance benefit as well as reported being more on task and fewer instances of spontaneous mind-wandering compared to those in the placebo group. Participants who received caffeine also reported greater positive affect and arousal, as well as less feelings of boredom, sleepiness, and mental effort required to stay on task compared to those who received placebo. These results suggest that caffeine may benefit attentional engagement as well as performance during a sustained attention task.

Address: University of Waterloo, Department of Psychology, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada. Electronic address: [email protected].; University of Waterloo, Department of Psychology, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada. Electronic address: [email protected].; University of Waterloo, Department of Psychology, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada. Electronic address: [email protected].; University of Waterloo, Department of Psychology, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada. Electronic address: [email protected].

DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2024.103729

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https://medlineplus.gov/caffeine.html

MeSH Terms: Humans, Caffeine, Attention, Male, Female, Young Adult, Central Nervous System Stimulants, Adult, Arousal, Auditory Perception, Affect, Chewing Gum, Adolescent, Boredom