Experiment on Memory
Abstract The aim of the study is to discover the effect caffeine has one 's short term memory. The method used was a mixed design, a combination of the repeated measures and independent measures designs. The participants used were chosen from a sample opportunity, and all were twelfth grade Biology students. The results indicate that the lowest average score was that of the experimental group, after they ingested caffeine. The conclusion made is that I was unable to replicate the results of Koppelstatter, Mitchell, or Womble and Lesk. My results, in contrast to the results of the studies being replicated, suggest that caffeine inhibits one 's mental performance in short term memory.
Introduction
According to the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), caffeine is now the most widely used stimulant in the world. The energetic boost received from caffeine is not in question. However, what caffeine does to one 's attention, thinking, and short term memory is still open to controversy. Does a dose of caffeine heighten one 's mental performance, or does it achieve the opposite? Many experiments have already taken place in order to discover how caffeine effects a person 's mental performance. In the Radiological Society of America 's annual conference in December of 2005, Florian Koppelstatter reported an experiment in which he used functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) to determine how coffee effects brain activity. Subjects were then given either a cup of strong coffee, containing 100 mg of caffeine, or a placebo drink. Twenty minutes later, all participants underwent fMRI scans while carrying out a memory and concentration test. The subjects who received the caffeinated coffee demonstrated increased activity in brain regions located in the frontal lobe. The participants that drank caffeine performed significantly better than those on
Introduction
According to the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), caffeine is now the most widely used stimulant in the world. The energetic boost received from caffeine is not in question. However, what caffeine does to one 's attention, thinking, and short term memory is still open to controversy. Does a dose of caffeine heighten one 's mental performance, or does it achieve the opposite? Many experiments have already taken place in order to discover how caffeine effects a person 's mental performance. In the Radiological Society of America 's annual conference in December of 2005, Florian Koppelstatter reported an experiment in which he used functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) to determine how coffee effects brain activity. Subjects were then given either a cup of strong coffee, containing 100 mg of caffeine, or a placebo drink. Twenty minutes later, all participants underwent fMRI scans while carrying out a memory and concentration test. The subjects who received the caffeinated coffee demonstrated increased activity in brain regions located in the frontal lobe. The participants that drank caffeine performed significantly better than those on
References: Lemonick, Michael. "Measuring IQ Points By The Cupful." Time 16 Jan. 2006: 94-05. Burchfield, Geoffrey. "About This Episode: Caffeine." ABC ONLINE. 1997. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 12 Feb. 2006 Greer, Mark