# data[].attributes.body
Does coffee consumption/caffeine affect mood?

# data[].attributes.body
There will be 20 pairs of two, 40 people in total. The participants will range from ages 18-55, and will vary in caffeine consumption.

# data[].attributes.body
Take volunteers of people who struggle with depression or mood, but are not on medication.

# data[].attributes.body
There will be two different amounts of coffee. One 8 oz cup a day or 3 8 oz cups a day. There is an additional variable, which is whether the coffee is caffeinated or not. This is the blind aspect, since both will be presented as caffeinated, the decaf being the placebo.

# data[].attributes.body
The explanatory variable is the amount of coffee consumed each day, and the type of coffee.

# data[].attributes.body
Since we cannot control the lives of participants, things like diet, and time between consumption, could affect results. An additional characteristic that may have an effect is the age of participants. We can help avoid this by our design of the experiment.

# data[].attributes.body
The response variable is the self evaluation of mood from 1-10 at then end of the month long period. These responses will be taken by the researchers who have not been informed about their treatment.

# data[].attributes.body
In our experiment, the control group will be the participants who are given decaf coffee. They will be receiving the placebo, to gage the effect of perceived treatment.

# data[].attributes.body
The patient is not aware of which treatment they are receiving, or even that their is multiple treatments. To achieve a double blind experiment, the researchers taking in results of overall mood, will also be unaware of the patients specific treatment.

# data[].attributes.body
While filtering out volunteers, we will assign pairs based on current caffeine consumption, as well as age. This way, we can best see the effect of the treatments in contrast with each other.

# data[].attributes.body
Our sample size is 40, therefore our margin of error is 2.5. Due to the relatively small size of our experiment, our margin of error isn’t very small. Replication of the experiment would be of benefit to further our results and verify.

# data[].attributes.body
To replicate this study, we would pick new participants and match into pairs again. We could also alter the experiment, turning it into a crossover. This would add another variable to verify the results.

# data[].attributes.body
After the conclusion of experiment, the average level of happiness was 6.7, in contrast with the beginning results of 5.5. This is a modest improvement. Below, a graph shows the average  change in participants moods, as rated by themselves. The largest improvement was in the participants who consumed just 1 cup of caffeinated coffee. The smallest improvement was in the participants who drank 1 cup of decaf coffee.

# data[].attributes.body
The results are fairly small, and due to the margin or error, it can not be conclusive and requires follow up replication. In a random sample of results, we confirmed that they were comparable to the real results, with only the oldest participants standing out. This suggests that the older the patient is, the less effective caffeine can be.

# data[].attributes.body
Over the period of those experiment, multiple costs occur. Firstly, we have to pay researchers to bring in and filter out volunteers. Additionally, we have to pay them to carry out surveys of mood. They will be paid $35 an hour, and complete an estimated total of 60 hours of work. The cost of materials is relatively low, coffee will be supplied averaging $10 a participant. We will also compensate each participant with $100 per person, to attract good candidates, and to influence commitment to the experiment.

# data[].attributes.body
“I was skeptical at first but after drinking three cups of coffee, I consistently felt better.” -Amanda, age 33

# data[].attributes.body
In June of 2018, we were able to release a caffeinated product to combat negative emotions. Due to the lack of study, we were not able to sell it as a treatment for depression. Sadly, we were forced to recall our product from the markets. Due to the high levels of caffeine and misuse of product, there were fatalities involving heart issues, and more. This resulted in a full recall, as well as legal settlement of a class action lawsuit.