The effects of alcohol and caffeine on concentration test performance.
Within a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design using two treatment factors, alcohol vs. placebo and caffeine vs. placebo, with stratification for sex as a non-treatment factor in 2 x 2 x 2 groups of 7 students each, concentration test performance was measured by an arithmetic test. The interesting result was a second-order interaction between the three factors: alcohol as well as caffeine decreased concentration in males; combined treatment performance was interpreted synergistically. For females, alcohol as well as caffeine increased concentration while the combination of both had an antagonistic effect.
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects*; D002110:Caffeine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
D002110:Caffeine; D000431:Ethanol