Examining the effects of caffeine during an auditory attention task

•Compared to placebo, participants who received caffeine reported being more on task during an auditory attention task.•Those who received caffeine also reported fewer instances of spontaneous mind-wandering during the task.•Participants who received caffeine were less variable in their responses during the attention task compared to placebo.•Following the task, participants who received caffeine reported greater positive affect and arousal compared to placebo.•Following the task, those who received caffeine also reported less boredom, sleepiness, and mental effort required. Participants completed two sessions of an auditory attention task and intermittently responded to thought probes asking about their level of mind-wandering. After the first session one group received 200 mg of caffeinated chewing gum (n = 61) and another group received regular (placebo) chewing gum (n = 66). The gum was chewed for 20-minutes and then disposed of before beginning the second session. Participants who received caffeine showed a performance benefit as well as reported being more on task and fewer instances of spontaneous mind-wandering compared to those in the placebo group. Participants who received caffeine also reported greater positive affect and arousal, as well as less feelings of boredom, sleepiness, and mental effort required to stay on task compared to those who received placebo. These results suggest that caffeine may benefit attentional engagement as well as performance during a sustained attention task.