THE EFFECTS OF CAFFEINE AS A STIMULANT ON STRESS REDUCTION AND MOOD ENHANCEMENT COLLABORATION RESEARCH ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY Manguiat, Sarah C., Po, Sheeva Wendy T., Sabado, Astrid Renae Z., and Sison, Charlene Gaille F.,Tolentino, Jana Camille A. ABSTRACT Caffeine-use in moderation may contribute to a transient increase in mood and a reduction in stress. Caffeine has a complex connection with stress reduction, and excessive use can heighten stress and anxiety in certain people. The present study used data from random sampling to investigate if caffeine consumption has any effect on mood enhancement and reducing stress for an individual. Initially, effects were seen in relation to caffeine consumption, specifically coffee. After gathering the data, caffeine has shown a substantial effect on reducing stress and a limited effect on mood enhancement. The current study's findings add to our understanding of the associations between caffeine, stress, and mood, although the crosssectional approach makes it impossible to determine causality. Keywords: caffeine, mood, stress INTRODUCTION Caffeine has been a major part of people's lives. Between work and socializing, people have an increasing demand for caffeinated products. Caffeine, the most common chemical in coffee, has been the number one drink that people drink as a stimulant to gain focus or alertness in their physical and mental states. Caffeine is the psychoactive substance most widely consumed in the world. It can be present in coffee, tea, carbonated beverages or soft drinks, chocolate, and a wide range of drugs, including appetite suppressants, diuretics, analgesics, and decongestants. The majority of which are marketed over the counter and are not regulated. (Echeverri, Montes, Cabrera, Galán, & Prieto, 2010). About 3.3 million bags measuring 60 kg each were consumed in coffee in the Philippines in 2020, according to the Statista Research Department. According to the Food and Nutrition Research Institute's most recent National Nutrition Survey, one-third of all households in the whole country regularly drink either regular coffee or 3-in-1 coffee every day. Due to the many coffee shops and chains opening up on the streets, there has been an increase in the consumption of coffee among teens and young adults. Older adults tend to be more responsive to the mood-boosting benefits of coffee than younger people. The time of consumption also has an impact on mood effects, with the most noticeable effects appearing in the late morning. In fact, one study has suggested that caffeine could potentially be used as a nutrition supplement for older adults, enhancing mood and improving cognitive performance in their daily living tasks. A number of studies have found a connection between caffeine consumption and reducing the risk of depression. Caffeine appears to improve memory performance under conditions of inadequate alertness. It helps with working memory tasks to a limited extent, but decreases performance on tasks that strongly rely on working memory. Studies have reviewed the impact of other caffeine studies. A single 60-mg caffeine dose elicited a clear enhancement of sustained attention, alertness, contentment, and mood. A further study concluded that an intake of 100 mg of caffeine significantly decreased lethargy and fatigue and increased strength. The importance of being caffeinated or consuming caffeine often revolves around its potential to improve alertness, concentration, and mood. Many people rely on caffeine, found in coffee, tea, and energy drinks, as a way to combat fatigue and enhance cognitive function. However, moderation is crucial to avoid negative side effects and dependency. Individual responses to caffeine can vary, so it's essential to consider personal tolerance and health factors. Now, due to the information gathered, the researchers want to find out the effect of caffeine as a stimulant on stress reduction and mood enhancement. METHODS Research Design The researcher used quantitative methodologies to create this study. The researcher made attempts to find solutions to the mentioned problem in order to support and fulfill the study's aims. It also aimed to find out how caffeine affected their way of life. Quantitative research is defined as a systematic investigation of phenomena using numerical data collection and statistical, mathematical, or computational tools. Quantitative research is grounded in the positivist paradigm, which also endorses statistically-based approaches that integrate other methods like blinding, randomization, hypothesis testing, mathematical exposition, inferential statistics, and questionnaires with a predetermined set of answers. (Lee, as cited in Slevitch, 2011). The Respondents of the Study The participants in this study are thirty (30) people who either enjoy drinking coffee or cannot function without it. These participants were all chosen using purposive sampling because the study will focus on people who love coffee. This sampling was conducted where researchers will choose specific respondents who are applicable to the study. Research Instrument The primary method of data collection was a Google Forms questionnaire. The instrument that needed to be constructed was designed to address the problem statement. Twenty-five (25) questions make up the questionnaire, which the researchers will send to the respondents via Messenger. The scale used to collect the data was arranged from 1 to 5. Whereas (1) always, (2) often, (3) sometimes, (4) rarely, and (5) never, the researchers will be able to obtain the data collection results with the help of this legend. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of caffeine as a stimulant on stress reduction and mood enhancement. Specifically, it will answer the following questions: 1. What are the profile characteristics of the respondents as to: 1.1 Age 1.2 Sex 1.3 Socio-Economic Status 1.4 Educational Attainment 1.5 Average Intake of Caffeine/Day 2. What are the effects of caffeine as a stimulant on reducing: 2.1 physical stress 2.2 mental stress 2.3 behavioral stress 2.4 emotional stress 3. What are the effects of caffeine as a stimulant on mood enhancement: 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Pressure Depression Anger Fatigue 4. Is there a significant relationship between caffeine as a stimulant and reducing stress when grouped according to the caffeine characteristics of the respondents? 5. Is there a significant relationship between caffeine as a stimulant and mood enhancement when grouped according to the profile characteristics of the respondents? 5.1 There is a significant relationship between caffeine as a stimulant, reducing stress, and enhancing mood when grouped according to the profile characteristics of the respondents. RESULTS The correlation matrix has been used to get the correlation of its variables and data based on the correlation matrix. As shown in Table 1, coffee or caffeine that correlates within itself has no correlational result. In stress reduction that correlates with coffee or caffeine, the results show Pearson’s r is 0.072, df is 118, and the p-value is 0.434. In the stress-to-stress correlation, no significant data result is given. In mood enhancement correlates from coffee or caffeine, the results from Pearson’s r are 0.161, df is 268, and p-value is 0.008. Mood enhancement correlates to stress reduction, which shows Pearson's r is 0.327, df is 118, and pvalue is <.001. A correlation matrix is a table that displays the coefficients of correlation between several variables. Each cell in the table represents the relationship between two variables. The value is between -1 and 1. A correlation coefficient of one signifies a perfect positive correlation. A correlation value of (-1) indicates a perfect negative correlation. A value of 0 indicates no relationship. In statistics and data analysis, the correlation matrix explores the correlations between distinct variables in a dataset. TABLE 1. CORRELATION MATRIX COFFEE Pearson’s r df p-value - STRESS STRESS Pearson’s r 0.072 df 118 p-value 0.434 - MOOD Pearson’s r 0.161 df 268 p-value 0.008 0.327 118 < .001 COFFEE MOOD - This result is a descriptive statistic that distinguishes its results based on N, missing mean, median, standard deviation, minimum, and maximum. Descriptive statistics summarize the essential features of a dataset. The key statistics that were mentioned are as follows: the total number of observations or data points in the dataset (N) for coffee (270), stress reduction (120), and mood enhancement (360). Missing Values: The number of missing values in the dataset expressed as a percentage is in coffee or caffeine (90), stress reduction (240), and mood enhancement (00). Mean: Stress reduction in coffee (2.86) is the dataset's. When a dataset is sorted, the median value is the halfway point between coffee or caffeine (3.00), stress reduction (3.00), and mood enhancement (4.00). The average value is determined by adding together all the values and dividing the numbers by the observations (3.27) and mood enhancement (3.76). If the number of observations is even, the median is the average of the two middle values. A measure of a set of numbers' variance or dispersion is called the standard deviation. A greater standard deviation in coffee indicates greater variability in caffeine (1.24), lowering stress levels (1.23), and elevating mood (1.04). Minimum: The effects of caffeine or coffee on lowering stress and improving mood are identical (1). The dataset's most significant value (1) yields the same outcomes for coffee or caffeine, stress reduction, and mood enhancement. TABLE 2. DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS N Missing Mean Median Standard Deviation Minimum Maximum COFFEE 270 90 2.86 3.00 1.24 1 5 STRESS 120 240 3.27 3.00 1.23 1 5 MOOD 360 0 3.76 4.00 1.04 1 5 DISCUSSION The current study aims to present cross-sectional data from thirty (30) participants who often drink coffee to investigate the association between caffeine consumption, mood enhancement, and stress reduction. Caffeine has been demonstrated in studies to have both positive and harmful impacts on health. Caffeine has been found to improve mood and reduce stress. When comparing people whose daily caffeine intake is minimal or moderate, caffeine enhances their mood, whereas those who frequently drink a lot of caffeine elevate their anxiety. The results indicate a perfect positive correlation between coffee and coffee; the correlation of a variable with itself is always 1. Hence, there is no correlational result stated if the value is not explicitly stated, but it is assumed to be 1. The correlation coefficient between coffee or caffeine and stress reduction is 0.072, indicating a moderately positive correlation. This correlation is not statistically significant (p > 0.05), according to the p-value of 0.434. As a result, there is insufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis without an association between caffeine and stress reduction. The statistics reveal that the correlation coefficient of 0.161 between coffee or caffeine and mood enhancement is a weak positive correlation. This correlation is statistically significant because the p-value of 0.008 is less than 0.05. As a result, there is sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis in this circumstance. Findings show that caffeine in coffee has a considerable effect on reducing the stress of an individual, but the difference is remarkably small between caffeine in coffee and mood enhancement. Each variable was tested to determine which variable may provide the best outcome, and coffee appeared to have the most substantial effect on stress reduction, particularly on a day-to-day basis. The findings of this study also show and support the literature above, which mentions that caffeine can contribute to stress reduction and mood enhancement. One flaw in this study could be the small sample size (n = 30). This will be one of the modifications made in further studies to produce more reliable results. In addition, the amount of caffeine taken each day would have a significant effect on stress reduction and mood enhancement. Finally, while caffeine in coffee is the only stimulant examined in this study, it would be much better if future research could test other stimulants to demonstrate their influence on reducing stress and enhancing the mood. The result of this study will be helpful to all students in a learning environment to determine which would have an effect on mood and stress to use in their research. The use of caffeine at different levels by an individual can help identify how much could be taken to relieve stress and increase feelings of happiness and well-being. These findings may be important for public health and should be investigated further. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors would like to express their gratitude to Sir Ralph Jayson Pallon for his ongoing support of researchers and encourage them to do better on conducting this study. In addition, the researcher would like to acknowledge the efforts of participants who honestly answered the questionnaire and made this study possible. REFERENCES: Oro, J., (2023). Coffee: Health Benefits and Risks. The Doctor. https://thefilipinodoctor.com/article/coffee-health-benefits-and-risks Filipino Statista Research Department (2023). 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