MGT 207 Project v2

Does the Consumption of Caffeine Affect GPAs among Frank G. Zarb School of Business Students?
Management 207 Fall 2010
Hypothesis Testing by:
Kevin Chen, David Hoeppner, Arshi Khan, Rossana Meyer-Mejia, Anshul Tomar, and Michael D. Willinger
Table of Contents
Hypothesis………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
Definition of each word in Hypothesis…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3
Methodology………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
Representative Sample…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………... 5
Computer Applications…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………. 5
Findings………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 7
Policy Recommendations…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….… 12
Imperfections………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 13
What led us to test this theory? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………... 14
Additional Related Research…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 14
Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 16
Survey……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…. 18
Raw Data ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…. 23
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Hypothesis:
"The amount of caffeine consumed by Zarb school of business students who have completed between one
and four semesters of study of their current academic program is positively correlated with those students’ grade
point averages.”
Definition of Each Word in Our Hypothesis:
1. The: “used as a function word to indicate that a following noun or noun equivalent is definite or has
been previously specified by context or by circumstance. “
2. Amount: “to reach a total : add up.”
3. Of: “used as a function word to indicate the component material, parts, or elements or the contents.”
4. Caffeine: “a bitter alkaloid C8H10N4O2 found especially in coffee, tea, cacao, and kola nuts and used
medicinally as a stimulant and diuretic.”
5. Consumed: “past tense of Consume - to eat or drink especially in great quantity.”
6. By: “through the agency or instrumentality of.”
7. Zarb School of Business Students: Students, both graduate and undergraduate, who attend Hofstra
University’s Business School, renamed the “Frank G. Zarb School of Business” in 1994 in recognition of
Frank G. Zarb’s service as the Chairman of the Hofstra University's Board of Trustees.
8. Who: “what or which person or persons.”
9. Have: “auxiliary verb - used with a past participle to form perfect tenses. i.e. She has gone.”
10. Completed: “past tense - to bring to an end and especially into a perfected state.”
11. One: “being a single unit or thing.”
12. And: “a logical operator that requires both of two inputs to be present or two conditions to be met for
an output to be made or a statement to be executed.”
13. Four: “something having four units or members.”
14. Semesters: “either of the two usually 18-week periods of instruction into which an academic year is
often divided.”
15. Study: “application of the mental faculties to the acquisition of knowledge.”
16. Their: “of or relating to them or themselves especially as possessors, agents, or objects of an action.”
17. Current: “presently elapsing”
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18. Academic: “of or pertaining to a college, academy, school, or other educational institution,
esp. one for higher education.”
19. Program: “a planned, coordinated group of activities, procedures, etc., often for a specific purpose, or
a facility offering such a series of activities.”
20. Is: “present 3d singular of be.”
21. Positively: “indicating, relating to, or characterized by affirmation, addition, inclusion, or presence
rather than negation, withholding, or absence.”
22. Correlated: “past tense - to establish a mutual or reciprocal relation between.”
23. With: “used as a function word to indicate a participant in an action, transaction, or arrangement.”
24. Those: “Plural of ‘that’ -used to indicate a person, thing, idea, state, event, time, remark, etc., as
pointed out or present, mentioned before, supposed to be understood, or by way of emphasis.”
25. Students’: “Plural Possessive of one who studies : an attentive and systematic observer.” In this
instance, “students’” refers specifically to the “Zarb School of Business Students” mentioned above.
26. Grade Point Averages : “plural - the average obtained by dividing the total number of grade points
earned by the total number of credits attempted.” In this case, “Grade Point Average specifically
refers to the Grade Point Averages of the Zarb School of Business Students who have completed
between one and four semesters at the Zarb School of Business.
Methodology:
Our group used a convenience sample when gathering data to test our hypothesis. Convenience sampling is a
sampling technique which uses subjects that are readily available to the researcher. Since the subjects of the
convenience sample are not representative of the general population, no inferences can be drawn regarding
the general population based on the survey results of a convenience sample, and thus statistical analysis
cannot be applied.
Our convenience sample consisted of both graduate and undergraduate students who have completed
between one and four semesters at the Zarb School of Business . To obtain our convenience sample, we first
designed a survey of twenty questions using the internet-based computer program “SurveyGizmo.” The
survey questions were designed to provide quantitative and qualitative measurements of caffeine
consumption for subjects within the convenience sample, as well as various measures of their academic
accomplishment such as grade point average and SAT scores. We then obtained email addresses of graduate
and undergraduate Zarb School Business Students from classmates, Hofstra’s Blackboard website, the website
“Facebook.com”, and student groups. A total of 32 graduate and undergraduate Zarb School of Business
students completed the survey, and we have based our findings on the results of these 32 surveys.
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Representative Sample:
According to businessdictionary.com, a representative sample is a small quantity of a targeted group such as

customers, data, people, products, whose characteristics represent (as accurately as possible) the entire batch,
lot, population, or universe. A representative sample attempts to accurately reflect the characteristics of the
population as a whole.
A survey sample's ability to represent a population has to do with the sampling frame; that is the list from
which the sample is selected. When some parts of the target population are not included in the sampled
population, we are faced with selection bias, which prevent us from claiming that the sample is representative
of the target population. So when it comes to getting a representative sample, sample source is more
important than sample size. If you want a representative sample of a particular population, you might want to
consider that the sample source includes the whole target population, the selected data collection method
(online, phone, paper, in person) can reach individuals, with characteristics typical of those possessed by the
population of interest, and the screening criteria truly reflects the target population
In summary, 100% of our sample was made up of students from Hofstra’s Zarb School of Business who have
completed between one and four semesters of study at either the undergraduate or graduate level. This tells
us that our sample strongly represents the entire student population at Hofstra’s Zarb School of Business. Our
ideal representative sample would be a sample of all students from the different areas of concentration as
well. However, since the survey was limited to Hofstra students, we cannot determine how and whether the
caffeine consumption affects study habits, for other students in different concentrations and other schools, in
the same manner.
Computer Applications:
Survey Gizmo: We used this free web based program to design, distribute, and conduct our survey. The
website allowed easy access to our target audience and also was able to give us more accurate results because
we were able to let the respondents remain anonymous. Survey Gizmo was also great in that it compiled all
the data for us and made it easier for us to transport the data to other programs that we used to analyze it and
create graphs and charts. We each used the link that the website provided for the survey and sent it to people
in the Zarb School of Business who fell into our category of undergraduate and graduate students who had
taken between 1 and 4 semesters of classes. The website also documented the amount of abandoned
responses for our survey which meant that people opened the survey, then opted not to take part. We also
were able to ask people to take the exam in person and did not encounter that issue.
Excel: Microsoft Excel was used to manage the data that we obtained from Survey Gizmo and with that
program we were able to analyze the data in a more organized way. The program also allowed for us to create
graphs and compare two variables that we tested for instead of just looking at the items individually. This
helped us because it created a more visual approach as opposed to just the numbers and this way we were
able to see what factors were affected by caffeine consumption as well as the type of respondent who was
connected with that factor.
Fortunately for our group, we did not have to spend any money for the research side of our hypothesis
testing. We were able to use a free internet website, Survey Gizmo to conduct our survey, Microsoft Excel for
data analysis, and used the internet research databases and other websites for secondary research. All of
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these programs were free for us, so for the cost end, we would not be affected nor would we need to cut
down. However, on the quality end, there might have been a few ways to improve the type of data we
obtained with the use of some sophisticated computer applications. If we would have created something that
could have created a more accessible way to take our survey, for instance something that could be accessed
via cell phone, we might have been able to have a bigger sample size to get more accurate information.
Our hypothesis was limited to the Zarb School of Business student body. However, if we were to
expand our hypothesis to the entire school, or to multiple schools, then a more sophisticated application
would be a great tool because it would help us reach more people remotely or without even having to know
them. But for the purposes of the study we are currently conducting, we don’t think that a sophisticated
computer application would have improved the quality or reduced the cost of our testing.
We used the secondary research before we conducted the surveys to get an idea of what we could
expect as well as to see what type of results the factors we were testing would produce. We also researched
after conducting the survey to see if we could better understand our results based on other like data. For
others conducting a similar hypothesis, we would suggest that they counter act the survey by asking students
to touch on their academic performance during periods where caffeine was not consumed. Or create a
separate survey for students who do not consume caffeine and see what other methods they use to aid in
their studying. There are so many options where this survey can be adapted to ask other questions.
One that would be really interesting would be to see among the caffeine consumers, how long they
have been consuming caffeine in their lives to see if that affects anything. For example, if someone has been
drinking coffee regularly for the past 10 years, it may not have an effect on them in terms of increasing
alertness which would be used to study. We might also leave a blank text box for students to explain other
factors that might have affected their alertness during study such as exercise, sleep and other things that could
have affected their grades. The list of additional research that could be conducted is endless, but those are a
few points that we felt would make for interesting results.
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FINDINGS:
We sent out our survey to over 100 people, and received 32 completed surveys in return.
25% of respondents were male, and 75% were female. A majority of returned surveys were from Graduate
students, likely more sympathetic and aware of the required hypothesis study for Management 207 Class.
Among the survey participants, 22% were under-graduate, and 78% were graduate students. In summary, our
findings cause us to reject our hypothesis for the time being because we find no positive correlation between
amount of caffeine consumption and grade point average for Zarb School of Business Students.
Unexpectedly, however, we did find that grade point average is negatively correlated with the amount of change
in caffeine consumption between an average day and a day on which a student studied for exams. It appears
that the more that a student changed his/her caffeine consumption when studying for exams, the lower that
student's GPA.
In greater detail, the data collected from our survey participants include the following:
Gender
Male Female
25%
75%
Student Education Semesters Completed

Level One Two Three Four
Graduate Undergraduate
22% 19%
22%
28% 31%
78%
The information is varied pertaining to how many semesters were completed, and how many semesters an
aggregate GPA includes. 19% had completed only one semester, 31% had completed only two. 28% had
completed three semesters, and 22% have completed four semesters.
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The range of students surveyed, are from a variety of departments and in a large variety of study areas:
Fields of Study
13%
Finance
25%
Acct, Taxation, legal studies in
16% business
Marketing, International Business
Management, Entrepeneurship,
General Business
25% IT, Quantitative Methods
22%
The average GPA associated with each different field concentration includes:
GPA Average based on Concentration

4
3.9
3.8
3.7
3.6
3.5
3.4
3.3
3.2
3.1
3
Accounting, Finance Information Management, Marketing and
Taxation and Legal Technology and Entrepreneurship International
Studies in Business Quantitative and General Business
Methods Business
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Considering the limited sample size and seeing if GPA might have any correlation with academic concentration, we
analyzed the Standard Deviation of each sample set of GPA scores. Considering the wide overlap of the lines
when analyzing just one standard deviation from the median, it is fair to say that many other factors, aside
from concentration, attribute to one’s cumulative GPA.
Lines Represent One Standard Deviation

4
3.9
3.8
3.7
3.6
3.5
3.4
3.3
3.2
3.1
3
Accounting, Finance Information Management, Marketing and
Taxation and Technology and Entrepreneurship International
Legal Studies in Quantitative and General Business
Business Methods Business
The average GPA was 3.57. Some participants did not fill in their SAT score, but among those that did, the
Average SAT was a 1271 (on a 1600 scale). This was computed by taking the average of each range and then
averaging the 25 participants that filled in their SAT scores. SAT scores are used by school admissions to
estimate student’s intellect, and if they can succeed among similar peers. Using that logic, we measured SAT
scores to see if it would be an accurate indicator of GPA. The results are below:
SAT/GPA AVG
4
3.9
3.8
3.7
3.6
GPA
3.5
3.4
3.3 GPA AVG
3.2
3.1
3
900 1100 1300 1500
SAT Score
Based on the chart above, there we found a positive correlation between GPA and SAT Score, but the correlation
appears to be weak.
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Among the 32 students surveyed and varied average consumption of caffeinated servings per person is below.
A majority of individuals may consume coffee, while very few students use caffeine pills. However the below
graph is the aggregated sum of all consumed caffeine divided by the 32 students surveyed. It demonstrates
the scope of caffeine consumption among Zarb Business students, and how the average increases near exam
time.
1.4
1.2 Avg Coffee
1 Exam Coffee
Avg Soda
0.8 Exam Soda
Avg Tea
0.6
Exam Tea
0.4 Avg E Drinks
Exam E drinks
0.2
avg C Pills
0 exam/C Pills
Avg Exam Avg Exam Avg Tea Exam Avg E Exam E avg C exam/C
Coffee Coffee Soda Soda Tea Drinks drinks Pills Pills
Caffeine consumption per person is a normal part of most Business School Student’s life. While several
surveyed participants did not use Caffeine at all, the average servings of caffeine per person are below. The left
bar represents the average consumption on a regular day, while the red represents the caffeine consumed in
anticipation of an Exam. The red bar is approximately a 40% increase of the blue.
3.5
2.5
1.5
0.5
0
Avg Caffeine sum per person Exam Caffeine Sum per person
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Below is a scatter-plot testing our actual hypothesis. It compares the GPA with the aggregated caffeine
consumption of each individual. This is computed by adding up each individuals’ different forms of caffeine
consumption and then the sum of the individual’s consumption is represented on the x-axis. The Y-axis
represents the GPA, organized in ranges based on the range of the survey questions.
AVG Caffeine/GPA AVG

4
3.8
3.6
GPA
3.4
GPA AVG
3.2
3
0 2 4 6 8 10
Sum of Average Daily Caffeine per person
Exam Caffeine/ GPA AVG

4
3.9
3.8
3.7
3.6
GPA
3.5
3.4
3.3 GPA AVG
3.2
3.1
3
0 5 10 15
Sum of Average Daily Caffeine while preparing for exams per person
We were unable to find any positive trend or correlation between Caffeine Consumption and GPA.
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The below chart analyzes the differences in people’s Caffeine Consumption when they are preparing for exams
verse a regular day. The differences are mostly positive, as more people increase consumption in anticipation
of exams:
Difference in Caffeine/GPA AVG

4
3.9
3.8
3.7
3.6
GPA
3.5
3.4
3.3 GPA AVG
3.2
3.1
3
-4 -2 0 2 4 6 8
Difference of Regular and Exam Prep Caffeine Consumption
An important conclusion is consistency and having no increase in caffeine consumption is most highly
correlated with a higher GPA.
Policy Recommendations:
Based on our finding that grade point average is negatively correlated with the degree of change
caffeine consumption between average days and days on which the survey respondents studied for exams, we
recommend that students remain consistent in daily caffeine consumption when preparing for and taking an exam.
Schools and universities should make it clear to students that drastic increases in caffeine consumption
when studying for exams are not associated with improvements in academic performance.
It should also be recognized that students who already consume certain amounts of caffeine should not change
their consumption patterns when studying for exams. Consequently, many people rely on caffeine, and it has become
a major substance in many people’s lives. For example, among those surveyed, “Do you feel consuming caffeine helps you
perform better academically?,” 28.1% replied “sometimes”, and 25% responded “yes.” Over 50% of student’s feel
caffeine positively adds to their personal academic performance. In light of our conclusion that students should maintain
their existing levels of caffeine consumption when studying for exams, and that many students feel that caffeine can
help them perform better academically, we recommend that schools make caffeine readily accessible to students.
Many schools provide 24 hour library hours near finals, and dorm-room quiet hours in order to encourage studying
and add to a student’s ability to study. Likewise, many businesses and office environments already provide
complimentary coffee, why not Hofstra?
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Imperfections:
1. Length and Repetitiveness of the Survey

Although we submitted the survey via email to approximately 160 students, only 32 students fully
completed the survey. In addition, 27 potential students abandoned the survey after starting it. Although
32 responses is adequate for our convenience sample, survey respondents may have found the survey
quicker to complete if the survey had been fewer than twenty questions. In addition, the repetitiveness of
the survey may have required a respondent to read a question more than once to identify the subtle
difference between questions. Although this repetitiveness was necessary in order to quantify different
forms of caffeine consumption, a less repetitive survey may also have been easier to complete.
Consequently, a shorter and less repetitive survey may have resulted in a higher number of fully
completed surveys, and a higher response rate.
2. Difficulty in Comparing Different Types of Caffeine Consumption

Our survey included a series of similar questions aimed at quantifying a respondent’s caffeine
consumption from different common sources such as caffeinated coffee, energy drinks such as Redbull,
soft drinks such as Coca Cola, and caffeine pills. Although the goal of these questions was to obtain a
more comprehensive understanding of caffeine consumption within the convenience sample, it is difficult
to compare the amount of caffeine in each of these types of caffeine consumption. For example, it can be
misleading to compare someone who consumes five cups of coffee per day to someone who consumes
two cans of Redbull per day, since the five cups of coffee may contain vastly more or vastly less caffeine
than the Redbull, depending on the quality of the coffee. We were able to obtain average amounts of
caffeine content in each of the caffeinated items we tested for. However, we could not test for differences
in the amount of caffeine within each category that we tested, since this would have made the survey far
too lengthy and repetitive. Consequently, although this is an imperfection of the survey, it was an
imperfection we were willing to accept.
3. We have not Considered Working and Non-Working Students Separately

There are a virtually unlimited number of variables which we did not test for, yet may affect both Grade
Point Average and caffeine consumption in a way that may strengthen, weaken or even reverse the
relationships we observed in our hypothesis testing. One such variable is whether or not the survey
respondents work outside of school. Respondents who work outside of school may be more tired or
rushed than other students, which may cause the working respondents to consume more caffeine yet have
lower GPAs than non-working respondents. If non-working respondents consume lower amounts of
caffeine but have higher GPAs, this would cancel out the high-caffeine/low GPA correlation of the working
respondents, thus weakening the results of our survey. Since our survey does not include questions about
working, being rushed, or being tired, we have no way of discovering this weakness within our results.
4. Accuracy of Respondents’ Answers

Our survey attempted to quantify respondents' total caffeine consumption from different common
sources. However, survey respondents may have difficulty remembering and quantifying their own
caffeine consumption, which may result in inaccurate answers. If many respondents did not know how
many ounces or servings of caffeine they consumed per day, or if the amount of caffeine consumption
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was highly variable so that it was difficult for respondents to estimate their average consumption, the
respondent's answers may be inaccurate, causing an imperfection in the survey results.
5. Lack of Specificity in Measurements of GPA, SAT Scores, and GMAT Scores

When analyzing our survey results, we found that the vast majority of responses fell into one or two
categories. It is possible that a correlation would be more apparent if the increments in our categories for
GPA and caffeine quantities were each smaller, in order to demonstrate relationships within those smaller
increments. Since we limited our increments of caffeine to whole cups, servings, or pills of caffeine, and
limited our measurement of GPA increments to three tenths of a point, relationships what would be
evident by measuring smaller increments have not been measured by our survey results.
What led us to test this theory?:
As students, we all spend a lot of our money on coffee and/or caffeinated drinks and supplements to keep us
going during exam times and as a group we were curious if students really consume more caffeine when exam
time comes around and whether it actually helps them improve their grades. Each one of us, in our group,
claims that we increase our caffeine intake during exam times and we actually wanted to see if there is any
sort of correlation between the two. Then, when we started looking into this topic more thoroughly, we found
other tests that were conducted and we wondered if what results we would achieve amongst our own
community at Hofstra’s Zarb School of Business. This question helped us transform a simple assumption into a
study that demonstrated whether this is to remain a simple assumption or whether students actually do
perform better on exams if they increase their caffeine intake.
Additional, Related Research:
Loke Wing Kong. (1990). Effects of Repeated Caffeine Administration on Cognition and Mood. Human
Psychopharmacology, Vol. 5, 339-348. Retrieved November 26, 2010, from EBSCOHOST database.
This publication examines the effects of repeated caffeine administration on cognitive and mood tasks. The
Subjects were 32 young healthy adults who were randomly assigned to one of the four treatments conditions:
0, 200, 400, or 600mg of caffeine. The results showed that subjects became faster at tasks. As they completed
more items they also had more correct items, but their accuracy did not significantly increase. Analysis showed
that items completed decrease as a function of dose especially for the highest (600mg) dose.
Ruxton. (2008). The impact of caffeine on mood, cognitive function, performance and hydration: a review of
benefits and risks. Nutrition Bulletin, Vol. 33, 15-25. Retrieved November 26, 2010, from EBSCOHOST database.
This paper is a review of double-blind, placebo-controlled trials published over the past 15 years to establish
what range of caffeine consumption would maximize benefits and minimize risks for cognitive function, mood,
physical performance and hydration. Of the 41 human studies meeting the inclusion criteria, the majority
reported benefits associated with low to moderate caffeine intakes (37.5 to 450 mg per day). The available
studies on hydration found that caffeine intakes up to 400 mg per day did not produce dehydration, even in
subjects undergoing exercise testing. It was concluded that the range of caffeine intake that appeared to
maximize benefit and minimize risk is 38 to 400 mg per day, equating to 1 to 8 cups of tea per day, or 0.3 to 4
cups of brewed coffee per day.
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Paul Hewlett, Andrew Smith. (2007) Effects of repeated doses of caffeine on performance and alertness: new
data and secondary analyses. Human Psychopharmacology. Vol. 22, 339-350. Retrieved November 27, 2010,
from LexisNexus database.
The present study aimed to determine whether caffeine withdrawal influenced mood and performance by
comparing regular consumers who had been withdrawn from caffeine overnight with non-consumers.
Following this repeated caffeine doses were administered to test the claim that repeated dosing has no extra
effect on mood or performance. Secondary analyses of data collected after a day of normal caffeine
consumption were also carried out to examine some alternative explanations of their results which showed
effects of caffeine after a day of normal caffeine consumption. The baseline data showed no effect of overnight
caffeine withdrawal on mood or performance. In contrast, caffeine challenge improved vigilance performance
and prevented decreases in alertness induced by completion of the task battery. The magnitude of these effects
increased as a function of the number of doses of caffeine given.
Susan V. Heatherley, Robert C. Hayward, Helen E. Seers, Peter J. Rogers. (2005). Cognitive and psychomotor
performance, mood, and pressor effects of caffeine after 4, 6 and 8 h caffeine abstinence.
Psychopharmacology. Vol. 178, 461-470. Retrieved November 26, 2010, from EBSCOHOST database.
Energetic mood was strongly affected by caffeine, being significantly increased by caffeine (versus placebo)
when given after 8-h caffeine abstinence, but not when given after 4- and 6-h abstinence. This result is
confirmed by the significant overall effect of caffeine and the significant caffeine×interval interaction effect.
Similarly, caffeine improved hedonic tone and tended to improve ‘overall mood’ when given after 8-h
abstinence. Caffeine also increased jitteriness and, to a lesser extent, clear-headedness (not significant), but
these effects did not vary systematically with duration of prior caffeine abstinence. Scores on the physical
sensations ‘light-headed/feeling faint’ and ‘heart pounding’ were generally very low and were not analyzed.
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Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography:
Annotated Bibliography for Definition of Each Word in Our Hypothesis:
1. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Definition of the word “The”. Available at: http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/the. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
2. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Definition of the word “Amount”. Available at:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amount. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
3. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Definition of the word “of”. Available at: http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/of. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
4. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Definition of the word “caffeine”. Available at:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caffeine. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
5. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Definition of the word “consumed”. Available at:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consume. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
6. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Definition of the word “by”. Available at: http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/by. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
7. Wikipedia. “Frank G. Zarb”. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_G._Zarb. Accessibility

verified November 30, 2010.
8. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Definition of the word “who”. Available at: http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/who. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
9. Dictionary.com. Definition of the word “Have”. Available at:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/have. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
10. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Definition of the word “completed”. Available at:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complete. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
11. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Definition of the word “one”. Available at: http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/one. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
12. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Definition of the word “and”. Available at: http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/and. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
13. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Definition of the word “four”. Available at: http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/four. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
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14. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Definition of the word “semesters”. Available at:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semesters. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
15. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Definition of the word “study”. Available at: http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/study. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
16. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Definition of the word “their”. Available at: http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/their. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
17. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Definition of the word “current”. Available at: http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/current. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
18. Dictionary.com. Definition of the word “academic”. Available at:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/academic. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
19. Dictionary.com. Definition of the word “program”. Available at:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/program. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
20. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Definition of the word “is”. Available at: http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/is. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
21. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Definition of the word “positively”. Available at:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/positively. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
22. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Definition of the word “correlate”. Available at:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/correlate. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
23. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Definition of the word “with”. Available at: http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/with. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
24. Dictionary.com. Definition of the word “those”. Available at:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/those. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
25. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Definition of the word “student”. Available at:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/student. Accessibility verified November 30, 2010.
26. The Merriam Webster Dictionary. Definition of the word “grade point average”. Available at:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grade point average. Accessibility verified November
30, 2010.
17
Caffeine Consumption @ Hofstra's Zarb School of Business
Instructions: Please only complete this survey if you are a currently a student in Hofstra's
Zarb School of Business and you have completed between one and four semesters of study
at your current academic level, whether undergraduate or graduate. Under each question,
please select the answer that best describes you.
1. Are you male or female? *This question is required
Male
Female
2. Are you an undergraduate or a graduate business student? *This question is

required
undergraduate
graduate
3. How many semesters of your current academic program have you completed? *This
question is required
1
2
3
4
4. What is your department in the Zarb School of Business? *This question is required
Accounting, Taxation and Legal Studies in Business

Finance
Information Technology and Quantitative Methods
Management, Entrepreneurship and General Business
Marketing and International Business
18
5. On average, approximately how many cups of caffeinated coffee (not decaffeinated
coffee) do you consume per day? (one cup is 8 fluid ounces) *This question is required
0
1
2
3
4 or more
6. On a day when you study for an exam, approximately how many of cups of
caffeinated coffee you consume? (one cup is 8 fluid ounces) *This question is required
0
1
2
3
4 or more
7. On average, approximately how many cups of caffeinated soft drinks (soda) do you
consume per day? (one cup is 8 fluid ounces) *This question is required
0
1
2
3
4 or more
8. On a day when you study for an exam, how many cups of caffeinated soft drinks
(soda) do you consume? *This question is required
0
1
2
3
4 or more
19
9. Approximately how many cups of caffeinated tea (both iced tea and warm tea) do
you consume per day? (one cup is 8 fluid ounces) *This question is required
0
1
2
3
4 or more
10. On a day when you study for an exam, approximately how many of cups of
caffeinated tea (both iced tea and warm tea) do you consume? (one cup is 8 fluid
ounces) *This question is required
0
1
2
3
4 or more
11. Approximately how many energy drinks do you consume per day? (e.g. Redbull,
Rockstar, 5 Hour Energy, etc.) *This question is required
0
1
2
3
4 or more
12. On a day when you study for an exam, approximately how many energy drinks do
you consume? (e.g. Redbull, Rockstar, 5 Hour Energy, etc.) *This question is required
0
1
2
3
4 or more
20
13. Approximately how many caffeine pills do you consume per day? *This question is
required
0
1
2
3
4 or more
14. On a day when you study for an exam, approximately how many caffeine pills do
you consume? *This question is required
0
1
2
3
4 or more
15. What range does your current GPA fall into? *This question is required
0 to 2.00
2.01 to 2.32
2.33 to 2.66
2.67 to 3.00
3.01 to 3.33
3.33 to 3.66
3.67 or above
16. What range does your SAT score fall into? (on a 1600 scale)
0-950
960-1050
1060 – 1150
1160 – 1300
1310-1400
1410 or higher
21
17. What range does your GMATscore fall into? (on a 800 scale)?
200 - 300
310 - 500
510 - 600
610 - 700
710 - 800
18. When do you usually start preparing for an exam/test?
Two or more weeks in advance

One week before the test
Two to three days prior to the test
The night before / the day of the test
19. Do you feel that consuming caffeine helps you perform better academically? *This
question is required
yes
no
sometimes
20. In your own estimation, the reason for most of your caffeine consumption
(including coffee, tea, energy drinks, soda and caffeine pills) is: *This question is
required
to be more productive at work/in school (i.e. a cup of coffee before class or work)
when under pressure to perform (i.e. cramming for a test or working on a tight
deadline)
to actively socialize (i.e. a night out with friends)
because you like the taste or the way it makes you feel
other
22
On average, approximately how
How many semesters of many cups of caffeinated coffee
Are you an undergraduate or your current academic (not decaffeinated coffee) do you
a graduate business program have you consume per day? (one cup is 8
Participant # Are you male or female? student? completed? What is your department in the Zarb School of Business? fluid ounces)
1 Male graduate 4 Finance 2
2 Female undergraduate 4 Accounting, Taxation and Legal Studies in Business 2
3 Male undergraduate 2 Marketing and International Business 1
4 Female undergraduate 3 Marketing and International Business 0
5 Female undergraduate 3 Marketing and International Business 1
6 Male undergraduate 3 Accounting, Taxation and Legal Studies in Business 0
7 Male graduate 3 Management, Entrepreneurship and General Business 0
9 Male graduate 1 Accounting, Taxation and Legal Studies in Business 0
10 Female graduate 1 Management, Entrepreneurship and General Business 0
13 Male graduate 3 Marketing and International Business 0
15 Female undergraduate 4 Accounting, Taxation and Legal Studies in Business 2
17 Male undergraduate 4 Finance 1
18 Male graduate 2 Information Technology and Quantitative Methods 1
19 Female graduate 2 Accounting, Taxation and Legal Studies in Business 3
20 Female graduate 2 Finance 0
32 Female graduate 4 Accounting, Taxation and Legal Studies in Business 3
23
On a day when you study for
On a day when you study for an On average, approximately how On a day when you study Approximately how many cups an exam, approximately how Approximately how many
exam, approximately how many many cups of caffeinated soft for an exam, how many of caffeinated tea (both iced tea many of cups of caffeinated energy drinks do you
of cups of caffeinated coffee drinks (soda) do you consume cups of caffeinated soft and warm tea) do you consume tea (both iced tea and warm consume per day? (e.g.
you consume? (one cup is 8 per day? (one cup is 8 fluid drinks (soda) do you per day? (one cup is 8 fluid tea) do you consume? (one Redbull, Rockstar, 5 Hour
Participant # fluid ounces) ounces) consume? ounces) cup is 8 fluid ounces) Energy, etc.)
1 4 or more 0 0 0 0 0
2 4 or more 2 2 0 0 1
3 0 1 0 0 0 0
4 0 0 0 1 1 0
5 2 1 1 3 3 1
6 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 0 0 0 2 0 0
9 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 0 1 1 0 0 0
11 2 2 3 0 1 0
12 2 3 2 1 2 2
13 0 1 0 0 0 1
14 0 1 1 2 2 0
15 4 or more 0 0 0 0 0
16 2 2 2 0 0 0
17 2 0 0 0 0 0
18 2 0 0 2 3 0
19 3 1 1 1 1 0
20 0 0 0 2 4 or more 0
21 1 0 1 0 0 0
22 2 1 1 2 2 0
23 1 0 0 1 1 0
24 1 0 0 0 0 0
25 0 0 0 2 3 0
26 0 0 0 3 3 0
27 0 1 0 0 0 0
28 1 1 1 0 0 0
29 0 1 1 1 1 0
30 4 or more 0 0 0 0 0
31 0 1 1 3 3 0
32 3 0 3 0 0 0
24
On a day when you study for an
exam, approximately how many On a day when you study
energy drinks do you consume? Approximately how many for an exam, approximately What range does your SAT What range does your
(e.g. Redbull, Rockstar, 5 Hour caffeine pills do you how many caffeine pills do What range does your score fall into? (on a 1600 GMATscore fall into? (on a
Participant # Energy, etc.) consume per day? you consume? current GPA fall into? scale) 800 scale)?
1 0 0 0 3.33 to 3.66 1300-1400 510 - 600
2 4 or more 0 2 3.01 to 3.33 1160 â€“ 1300
3 0 0 0 3.01 to 3.33 1160 â€“ 1300
4 0 0 0 3.01 to 3.33 1300-1400 610 - 700
5 1 0 0 3.01 to 3.33 1050 â€“ 1150
6 0 0 0 3.01 to 3.33 1160 â€“ 1300
7 0 0 0 3.67 or above 1300-1400 710 - 800
8 0 0 0 3.67 or above 1160 â€“ 1300 510 - 600
9 0 0 0 3.67 or above 1300-1400 510 - 600
10 0 0 0 3.33 to 3.66 0-1050 610 - 700
11 1 0 0 3.67 or above 1160 â€“ 1300 510 - 600
12 3 3 2 3.33 to 3.66 1400 or higher 710 - 800
13 1 0 0 3.33 to 3.66 1300-1400 510 - 600
14 0 0 0 3.33 to 3.66 1050 â€“ 1150 510 - 600
15 1 0 0 3.33 to 3.66 1400 or higher
16 0 0 0 3.67 or above 1300-1400 510 - 600
17 0 1 2 3.01 to 3.33 1050 â€“ 1150
18 0 0 0 3.67 or above 510 - 600
19 0 0 0 3.67 or above
20 0 0 0 3.67 or above 310 - 500
21 0 0 0 3.33 to 3.66 610 - 700
22 1 0 0 3.67 or above 1160 â€“ 1300 610 - 700
23 0 0 0 3.01 to 3.33 1160 â€“ 1300 510 - 600
24 0 0 0 3.33 to 3.66 0-950 510 - 600
25 0 0 0 3.33 to 3.66 510 - 600
26 0 0 0 3.67 or above 1400 or higher 610 - 700
27 0 0 0 3.67 or above 1400 or higher 610 - 700
28 0 0 0 3.33 to 3.66 610 - 700
29 0 0 0 3.67 or above 1300-1400 610 - 700
30 0 0 0 3.33 to 3.66 510 - 600
31 0 0 0 3.67 or above 1160 â€“ 1300 510 - 600
32 0 0 0 3.67 or above 1050 â€“ 1150 510 - 600
25
Do you feel that consuming
When do you usually start preparing for an caffeine helps you perform In your own estimation, the reason for most of your caffeine consumption (including coffee, tea,
Participant # exam/test? better academically? energy drinks, soda and caffeine pills) is:
1 One week before the test yes to be more productive at work/in school (i.e. a cup of coffee before class or work)
2 Two to three days prior to the test sometimes when under pressure to perform (i.e. cramming for a test or working on a tight deadline)
3 sometimes to be more productive at work/in school (i.e. a cup of coffee before class or work)
4 The night before / the day of the test sometimes other
5 Two to three days prior to the test sometimes to be more productive at work/in school (i.e. a cup of coffee before class or work)
6 The night before / the day of the test no other
7 One week before the test no other
8 One week before the test no because you like the taste or the way it makes you feel
10 Two to three days prior to the test no other
11 One week before the test sometimes when under pressure to perform (i.e. cramming for a test or working on a tight deadline)
12 Two or more weeks in advance no other
13 The night before / the day of the test sometimes because you like the taste or the way it makes you feel
14 The night before / the day of the test no because you like the taste or the way it makes you feel
15 The night before / the day of the test yes when under pressure to perform (i.e. cramming for a test or working on a tight deadline)
16 Two to three days prior to the test no to be more productive at work/in school (i.e. a cup of coffee before class or work)
17 Two to three days prior to the test yes to be more productive at work/in school (i.e. a cup of coffee before class or work)
18 One week before the test yes when under pressure to perform (i.e. cramming for a test or working on a tight deadline)
19 Two to three days prior to the test sometimes because you like the taste or the way it makes you feel
20 One week before the test sometimes to be more productive at work/in school (i.e. a cup of coffee before class or work)
21 The night before / the day of the test no to be more productive at work/in school (i.e. a cup of coffee before class or work)
24 no because you like the taste or the way it makes you feel
25 Two or more weeks in advance yes when under pressure to perform (i.e. cramming for a test or working on a tight deadline)
27 Two to three days prior to the test sometimes other
28 Two to three days prior to the test no other
31 Two to three days prior to the test yes because you like the taste or the way it makes you feel
26

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Does the Consumption of Caffeine Affect GPAs among Frank G. Zarb School of Business Students?

Management 207 Fall 2010

Hypothesis Testing by:

Definition of each word in Hypothesis…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3

What led us to test this theory? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………... 14

Additional Related Research…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 14

Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 16

Raw Data ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…. 23

Definition of Each Word in Our Hypothesis:

2. Amount: “to reach a total : add up.”

5. Consumed: “past tense of Consume - to eat or drink especially in great quantity.”

6. By: “through the agency or instrumentality of.”

8. Who: “what or which person or persons.”

11. One: “being a single unit or thing.”

13. Four: “something having four units or members.”

15. Study: “application of the mental faculties to the acquisition of knowledge.”

17. Current: “presently elapsing”

20. Is: “present 3d singular of be.”

22. Correlated: “past tense - to establish a mutual or reciprocal relation between.”

According to businessdictionary.com, a representative sample is a small quantity of a targeted group such as

Student Education Semesters Completed

GPA Average based on Concentration

Lines Represent One Standard Deviation

1.2 Avg Coffee

AVG Caffeine/GPA AVG

Exam Caffeine/ GPA AVG

Difference in Caffeine/GPA AVG

1. Length and Repetitiveness of the Survey

2. Difficulty in Comparing Different Types of Caffeine Consumption

3. We have not Considered Working and Non-Working Students Separately

4. Accuracy of Respondents’ Answers

5. Lack of Specificity in Measurements of GPA, SAT Scores, and GMAT Scores

What led us to test this theory?:

Additional, Related Research:

Annotated Bibliography for Definition of Each Word in Our Hypothesis:

7. Wikipedia. “Frank G. Zarb”. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_G._Zarb. Accessibility

9. Dictionary.com. Definition of the word “Have”. Available at:

18. Dictionary.com. Definition of the word “academic”. Available at:

19. Dictionary.com. Definition of the word “program”. Available at:

24. Dictionary.com. Definition of the word “those”. Available at:

1. Are you male or female? *This question is required

2. Are you an undergraduate or a graduate business student? *This question is

Accounting, Taxation and Legal Studies in Business

18. When do you usually start preparing for an exam/test?

Two or more weeks in advance

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