Feb 16 2004
Caffeine is a stimulant. It can increase work performance, but it can also increase anxiety. Many of us believe that coffee will help us manage stress. Research from the UK suggests that coffee at work affects men differently depending on whether they work alone or in a group. Men who work alone may increase their stress levels by taking a coffee break. Men who work in teams could feel less stressed after an intake of caffeine, but this may make them less effective.
The British researchers found that caffeine heightened feelings of stress while performing stressful tasks, especially in men. However, the effects of caffeine on performance were likely to depend on the type of task and whether participants were working alone or in teams.
Researchers told 32 people that their coffee contained caffeine which would help their performance, another 32 that theirs did not, and a third group of 32 that they were having caffeine which causes stress-like side effects. Half of the drinks for each group actually contained 200 mg of caffeine and the other half had none.
After drinking, participants performed two stressful tasks and a series of other tests. Men who had been told that their coffee contained caffeine to enhance performance had higher heart rates and felt more stressed. Actual caffeine consumption made people generally less confident about their ability to cope and made men feel more ‘stressed’.
Caffeine tended to make men look more physically tense and sound less relaxed during a stressful public speaking task. It actually reduced ratings of stress in women, however.
The researchers also conducted experiments involving same-sex groups of five people who first individually thought out solutions to a problem and then agreed a set of group decisions after discussion. Coffee was reduced some feelings of stress, particularly in men, but it made team-working less effective. The solutions suggested in male groups after group discussion were not as good as those devised alone.
Reference: Academic Press release, University of Bristol, February 2004
Last edited 11/18/05
