In our society, caffeine is not seen as a drug even though it is. Caffeine can be found in coffee, tea, chocolate, soda and energy drinks. According to our book, Motivation by Lambert Deckers, "the motivation for drug use is based on attaining pleasure (positive reinforcement) or reducing withdrawal symptoms (negative reinforcement)" (p. 95). Caffeine is used to make us feel awake and energetic. Today, many college students are addicted to caffeine in order to stay alert and focused in class, or on outside work. Along with college students, our society as a whole relies on caffeine to get the day started, along with "pick ups" when the caffeine begins to wear off later in the day. Caffeine, like other drugs, has symptoms of withdrawal which are experienced 12 to 24 hours after it was last taken in. These symptoms are headaches, fatigue, change in mood, and a decrease in alertness. The video below describes how caffeine works in our bodies and why many feel as though they need it to feel better.
Click the following link for the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoH1miTp-Bw&feature=related
