An Experiment on Caffeine

Improvement Era Vol. XXIV NOVEMBER, 1920 No. 1 An Experiment on Caffeine By George S. Snoddy, Ph. D., Prof, of Psychology, University of Utah [This new experiment on the effect of caffeine citrate upon mental activity seems to the editors of the Era very important. Many have be- lieved that the effect of stimulants is the same both on the higher and the lower brain centers. We are here shown, by actual test, and through scien- tific experiment, for the first time, so far as we know, that what stimulates iho lower brain activity may greatly interfere with, if not completely elim- inate, the higher. That is what the drug caffeine does. Therefore, when you are about to drink the next potion of caffeine stop and reason; ask yourself whether you will be a thinker or a mere fusser. The word of wisdom given to the Latter-day Saints promises that all who refrain from hot, strong and stimulating drinks, coffee, tea, and other beverages containing caffeine, and from wine and nicotine, "shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures." This very important experiment by Dr. Snoddy, confirms the fact and teaches us how this promise may come about very naturally, in one way, at least — by men refraining from stimulants (caffeine and those of like nature) that greatly interfere with mental activity involving the higher functions of the brain, and requiring that deliberation and analysis, necessary to important mental work. — Editors.] During the Spring of 1920, the Department of Psychology in the University of Utah, devised a set of experiments to show the effect of caffeine upon mental activity. It is a matter of common knowledge that tea, coffee, coca cola, and many other stimulants and beverages contain caffeine. A number of exper- iments have been conducted in the United States and in Ger- many upon the effect of caffeine on mental activity, but in the main these experiments have been of little value, largely due

4 IMI'ROVF.MKNT FRA to the failure <»f 1 1 1* - r\ peri men ters to properly isolate the nien- tal Bctii iti«"s concerned. ( >ur own experiment was carefully planned so as to re- veal the effect upon two sorts of mental activity, — (1) those functions carried out hy the high hrain centers, and (2) those involved in the functioning of the low brain centers. It will be of value to the layman to know that the mental activities dependent upon the functioning of the high brain centers are those that function in sustained and deliberate thought, such as is characteristic of one's mental activity during the solution of a difficult problem; while those functions dependent upon the activity of the low brain centers are of the automatic char- acter, such as the simple addition of numbers in the case of an individual highly skilled in adding numbers, or the carry- ing out of any muscular act involving no mental discrimination or deliberation. Our results showed conclusively that the effect of the caf- feine was to retard or inhibit the functioning of the high brain centers and thus retard or interfere with concentrated or de- liberate thought; while the effect upon the low brain centers was clearly that of stimulation or exaltation of functioning. This means that any activity which is of the much practiced or automatic sort would be stimulated and consequently much speeded up by the effect of the caffeine, while that mental activity involving deliberation or analysis would be very greatly interfered with if not completely eliminated. It is of great interest to observe that during the experiment the subjects who participated expected to find all of their men- tal functions greatly stimulated, while the results of the ex- periment clearly indicate that many of the important func- tions are almost wholly suppressed. The fact of stimulation, however, with the consequent false opinion of the subject, is in- teresting because it clearly shows why many of the users of caffeine continue its use. Another point along this line is also of interest. One phase of our experiment introduced a con- siderable amount of excitement. The results showed that this excitement had the same effect, although to a lesser extent, as the caffeine itself. From this one can see that the effect of the caffeine ts to produce a kind of excitement, — the very sort of