According to a study done by psychologists from Bristol University, men who consume caffeine under stressful circumstances resulted in poorer performance and a drop in their confidence compared to the males who only drank decaf.
Conversely, for the women who drank caffeine, interestingly it was much more beneficial – in fact it increased their confidence!
This phenomenon is thought to be due to the varied physiology of men and women.
Women tend to respond to stress in a positive way that enables them to work together to solve a problem or achieve a goal, something which psychologists call ‘tend and befriend’.
Whereas men usually exhibit the ‘fight or flight’ response, making them more aggressive.