AP Psychology FRQ Practice

Practice FRQ 1 of 20

Using the source provided, respond to all parts of the question.

1. Your response to the question should be provided in six parts: A, B, C, D, E, and F. Write the response to each part of the question in complete sentences. Use appropriate psychological terminology in your response.

A. Identify the research method used in the study.

B. State the operational definition of visual motor reaction time in the study.

C. Describe what the mean indicates for the reaction time between the High Dose Group and the Placebo Group.

D. Identify at least one ethical guideline applied by the researchers.

E. Explain the extent to which the research findings may or may not be generalizable using specific and relevant evidence from the study.

F. Explain how at least one of the research findings supports or refutes the concept that caffeine acts as a stimulant.

Introduction

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Previous research has established that caffeine, as a widely consumed psychoactive stimulant, affects neural transmission by blocking adenosine receptors and increasing the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine. The present study investigated whether varying doses of caffeine would produce measurable improvements in visual motor reaction time, examining the dose-response relationship between caffeine consumption and cognitive-motor performance.

Total N: 120
Recruitment: Participants were recruited from the introductory psychology research pool at a large Midwestern university and were required to abstain from caffeine for 12 hours prior to participation.
Gender: 58.3% women (n = 70), 40.0% men (n = 48), 1.7% non-binary (n = 2)
Race/Ethnicity: 64.2% White (n = 77), 15.8% Asian (n = 19), 10.0% Black or African American¹ (n = 12), 7.5% Hispanic or Latino (n = 9), 2.5% multiracial or other (n = 3)
Age Range: 18-24 years
Age Mean: 19.8
Age SD: 1.4
Compensation: Participants received 1.5 course credits toward their introductory psychology research participation requirement.

Custom computerized reaction time assessment program (RT-Measure 3.2) displayed on standardized 24-inch monitors with 144 Hz refresh rates
Three beverage preparations: 250 ml water with 0 mg caffeine (placebo), 250 ml water with 100 mg caffeine (low dose), and 250 ml water with 200 mg caffeine (high dose), all identically flavored with sugar-free lemon flavoring to mask caffeine taste
Standard computer mouse for response input
Pre-screening questionnaire assessing caffeine use habits, sleep quality, and health conditions

Upon arrival, participants provided written informed consent after being fully informed about the study procedures, potential side effects of caffeine (including increased heart rate, jitteriness, and difficulty sleeping), and their right to withdraw at any time without penalty to their course credit.
Participants completed a pre-screening questionnaire and were then randomly assigned to one of three conditions using a computer-generated randomization sequence: Placebo Group (n = 40), Low Dose Group (n = 40), or High Dose Group (n = 40).
A research assistant who was blind to condition assignments administered the appropriate beverage, and participants consumed the entire 250 ml within a 5-minute period.
Participants then engaged in a 30-minute waiting period during which they completed filler questionnaires about study habits and media consumption to allow caffeine absorption to reach peak plasma levels².
Following the waiting period, participants completed the visual motor reaction time task, which consisted of 60 trials where they pressed a mouse button as quickly as possible when a red circle (50 mm diameter) appeared at random intervals (1500-4000 ms) at random locations on a gray screen.
Reaction time was recorded in milliseconds from stimulus onset to button press for each trial, with the first 10 trials designated as practice and excluded from analysis.
After task completion, participants were debriefed about the full purpose of the study and the specific condition to which they had been assigned.

Placebo Group: Consumed 250 ml of lemon-flavored water containing 0 mg of caffeine (n = 40)

Low Dose Group: Consumed 250 ml of lemon-flavored water containing 100 mg of caffeine, equivalent to approximately one cup of coffee (n = 40)

High Dose Group: Consumed 250 ml of lemon-flavored water containing 200 mg of caffeine, equivalent to approximately two cups of coffee (n = 40)

Visual motor reaction time was operationally defined as the time elapsed, measured in milliseconds (ms), between the onset of the red circle stimulus appearing on the computer screen and the participant's mouse button press, averaged across 50 valid test trials per participant.

Informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to participation; the consent form explicitly described the potential physiological side effects of caffeine consumption (including increased heart rate, anxiety, jitteriness, and possible sleep disruption) and emphasized that participation was voluntary with the right to withdraw at any time without losing course credit.

A one-way ANOVA revealed a significant main effect of caffeine dosage on visual motor reaction time, F(2, 117) = 24.63, p < .001. Participants in the High Dose Group (M = 243.2 ms, SD = 25.4) demonstrated the fastest reaction times, responding 15.4% faster than the Placebo Group (M = 287.4 ms, SD = 32.6). The Low Dose Group (M = 261.8 ms, SD = 28.9) showed intermediate performance, with reaction times 8.9% faster than the Placebo Group, indicating a dose-dependent improvement in reaction time performance.

Placebo Group (0 mg)	Low Dose Group (100 mg)	High Dose Group (200 mg)
Mean Reaction Time (ms)	287.4	261.8	243.2
Standard Deviation	32.6	28.9	25.4
Percentage Faster Than Placebo	—	8.9%	15.4%

These findings demonstrate a clear dose-response relationship between caffeine consumption and visual motor reaction time, with higher doses of the stimulant producing faster responses. The results are consistent with our understanding of how psychoactive drugs, specifically stimulants like caffeine, affect neural transmission by blocking adenosine receptors and promoting increased release of excitatory neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine, thereby enhancing neural signaling speed and improving cognitive-motor performance. However, because the sample consisted entirely of young university students aged 18-24 from a single institution, caution should be exercised when generalizing these findings to older adults, children, or individuals with different caffeine consumption patterns.

Hernandez, R. M., Chen, W. L., & Patterson, K. A. (2022). Dose-dependent effects of caffeine on visual motor reaction time in young adults: An experimental investigation. Journal of Psychopharmacology and Cognition, 38(4), 412-428. https://doi.org/10.1037/jpc0000847

1. Demographic terminology for race and ethnicity reflects categories used by the university's institutional research office at the time of data collection and may not capture the full complexity of participants' racial and ethnic identities.

2. Peak plasma concentration of caffeine typically occurs 30-60 minutes after oral consumption; the 30-minute delay was selected based on prior pharmacokinetic research to ensure measurable effects during the reaction time task.