What is Caffeine?Caffeine is a byproduct found in plants, which stimulates the central nervous system. It's found in many popular beverages such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, cocoa, and chocolate. It's also found and used in some non-food items like prescription and non-prescription drugs (cold, allergy, and pain relievers) and even some cosmetics.
Consumption of this product produces effects approximately fifteen minutes after ingestion and can last up to six hours. Caffeine can increase heart rate, body temperature, blood flow to the skin and extremities, blood sugar, stomach acid secretion, and urine production. |
The primary reason people ingest caffeine is to become more focused and alert during times of fatigue and stress. However, caffeine does not replenish energy nor prevent emotional fatigue (only food and rest can do this). Additionally, there is some suggestion that caffeine is addictive and because of its effect on the central nervous system, it's classified as a psychoactive drug. Quitting caffeine can produce several withdrawal symptoms, including headaches, irritability, nervousness, nausea, muscle tension, and constipation.
"Caffeine." University Health Service. University of Michigan, n.d. Web. 17 July 2015. <https%3A%2F%2Fwww.uhs.umich.edu%2Fcaffeine>.
"Caffeine." University Health Service. University of Michigan, n.d. Web. 17 July 2015. <https%3A%2F%2Fwww.uhs.umich.edu%2Fcaffeine>.
Who We Are |
We are a group of graduate students from Michigan State University, currently enrolled in the Master's of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) program offered through the College of Education.
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Our History |
Part of our work in the summer semester of 2015 included an inquiry based project that urged us to consider how people understand commonly accepted truths. We were curious about how people understood caffeine-- what it is and its effects as they differ from individual to individual. Our purpose revolved around understanding what people know about caffeine - a substance most people around a university campus put into their body every day. We decided that we specifically wanted to unearth whether or not people know what caffeine is and how different drinks compare with one another in caffeine content. We felt that delving deeper into these two concepts would elicit what people really know, or don’t know, about this stimulating compound.
Before we began interviewing our subjects, we searched for a correct understanding of our own, which we've posted above. |