title: Performance pressure and caffeine both affect cognitive performance, but likely through independent mechanisms.
abstract: A prevalent combination in daily life, performance pressure and caffeine intake have both been shown to impact people's cognitive performance. Here, we examined the possibility that pressure and caffeine affect cognitive performance via a shared pathway. In an experiment, participants performed a modular arithmetic task. Performance pressure and caffeine intake were orthogonally manipulated. Findings indicated that pressure and caffeine both negatively impacted performance. However, (a) pressure vs. caffeine affected performance on different trial types, and (b) there was no hint of an interactive effect. So, though the evidence is indirect, findings suggest that pressure and caffeine shape performance via distinct mechanisms, rather than a shared one.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Julia J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Boere
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lizz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fellinger
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Duncan J H
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Huizinga
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sebastiaan F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, The Netherlands. Electronic address: e.bijleveld@psych.ru.nl.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bijleveld
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002110:Caffeine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D002110:Caffeine
keywords: BIS11; Coffee; Dopamine; Eye Blink Rate (EBR); Modular arithmetic task; Performance pressure