Recently, many college students started actively using prescribed stimulant drugs associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), like methylphenidate, to relax before exams and as recreational party drugs. The present study examines the effects of Ritalin, a commonly consumed methylphenidate, on cognitive performance with a focus on choice reaction time (RT) in response to stimuli. The participants were recruited through an anonymous survey and included 50 male students from York College, ages 18-24, and professionally diagnosed with ADHD. Upon providing informed consent and being divided into two groups, 25 individuals received Ritalin (Ritalin group) while the other 25 persons were given a placebo sugar pill (Placebo group). After 45 minutes, all participants completed the Choice RT program, which asked them to press a button when seeing a green dot appear on the screen.
The results obtained after the experiment varied between the two groups. For individuals who took Ritalin, the average RT was 167.32 ms. In comparison, participants from the Placebo group had a mean RT of 251.52 ms. People who consumed Ritalin prior to the Choice RT program had more rapid reactions and boosted accuracy than those who did not intake the methylphenidate. Notably, the result of a t-test value was -13.78, indicating a large and statistically significant difference between the means of Ritalin and Placebo groups. The results illustrate methylphenidate affects cognitive performance and RT. Moreover, the findings can contribute to an understanding of how the medication influences brain functioning and behavior and have implications for utilizing stimulant drugs in distinct settings.