Frequency and Motivation for Beverage Consumption in College Students
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Psychology/Applied Behavior Analysis
Minor
Human Development and Learning
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Megan St. Peters
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
Caffeine is a psychopharmacological stimulant, meaning that it excites the central nervous system. It is the most widely used psychoactive drug, especially prevalent in college students (Agoston et. al., 2017). On the contrary, alcohol also serves as a commonly consumed drug among college students despite its opposite physiological effects (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2021). Alcohol is a depressant; it calms the central nervous system. Existing research has examined the mere quantitative relationship between the two substances (Dillon et. al., 2019). This found that caffeine use was associated with alcohol use. Little research has been done, however, on how motivation affects consumption. The current study examines if social motivations have similar impact on these physiologically opposing drugs. This is a correlational study using an online survey on undergraduate students. The survey assesses caffeine and drinking behaviors and motivations related to caffeine using the Motives for Caffeine Consumption Questionnaire (Agoston et al., 2017). This includes 23 items using a Likert scale to measure why people drink caffeine. The study seeks to explore motives for caffeine consumption as they relate to the quantity of both caffeine and alcohol consumed. Participants will not be asked about alcohol motivation. Data is currently being collected. I propose that caffeine and alcohol consumption will be positively correlated if motivations for caffeine are socially mediated. If motivations are related to physical health, I hypothesize no or even potentially a negative correlation between use of caffeine and alcohol. The current study also examines supporting literature on caffeine and alcohol consumption in young adults.
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Frequency and Motivation for Beverage Consumption in College Students
Caffeine is a psychopharmacological stimulant, meaning that it excites the central nervous system. It is the most widely used psychoactive drug, especially prevalent in college students (Agoston et. al., 2017). On the contrary, alcohol also serves as a commonly consumed drug among college students despite its opposite physiological effects (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2021). Alcohol is a depressant; it calms the central nervous system. Existing research has examined the mere quantitative relationship between the two substances (Dillon et. al., 2019). This found that caffeine use was associated with alcohol use. Little research has been done, however, on how motivation affects consumption. The current study examines if social motivations have similar impact on these physiologically opposing drugs. This is a correlational study using an online survey on undergraduate students. The survey assesses caffeine and drinking behaviors and motivations related to caffeine using the Motives for Caffeine Consumption Questionnaire (Agoston et al., 2017). This includes 23 items using a Likert scale to measure why people drink caffeine. The study seeks to explore motives for caffeine consumption as they relate to the quantity of both caffeine and alcohol consumed. Participants will not be asked about alcohol motivation. Data is currently being collected. I propose that caffeine and alcohol consumption will be positively correlated if motivations for caffeine are socially mediated. If motivations are related to physical health, I hypothesize no or even potentially a negative correlation between use of caffeine and alcohol. The current study also examines supporting literature on caffeine and alcohol consumption in young adults.