Caffeine Effects on Aggression and Risky Decision Making

It is widely accepted that caffeine, in moderate doses, can exert positive effects on behavior and mood, such as enhancing vigilance, decreasing response time, and increasing alertness (Lieberman et al. 1987, 2002; Lieberman 2001; Nehlig et al. 1992; Smith 2002; Wesensten et al. 2005). Perhaps due to these positive effects, caffeine is the most widely consumed stimulant in the world, with most adults in the United States consuming it daily (Gilbert 1984). The extent of daily caffeine consumption appears to be on the rise as well, potentially due to increasing popularity of local and national coffee chains as well as increased caffeine content in commonly available retail beverages. In addition, consumption of heavily marketed energy drinks such as Red Bull, Amp, Monster, Full Throttle, Spike Shooter, and

Introduction ............................................................................................................ 293 Background ............................................................................................................294 Caffeine and Aggressive Behavior ......................................................................... 295 Caffeine and Risky Behavior .................................................................................297