Effect of caffeine, impulsivity, and gender on the components of text processing and recall.

The present study examined the effects of caffeine, impulsivity, and gender on specific components of text processing as indicated by measures of reading time and recall. High- and low-impulsive male and female participants received 0, 2, or 4 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight. Participants read 3 narrative and 3 expository passages from a computer terminal at their own rate. Immediately after reading each story participants recalled the passage. Participants given caffeine took longer to read the passages and recalled more idea units than participants given a placebo. The effects of caffeine on reading time and recall were not specific to any component of text processing but resulted in a general slowing of reading time and improvement in recall. The effects of caffeine were influenced by both gender and impulsivity. Additionally, results suggest that manipulations that increase encoding difficulty may result in enhanced recall. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)